Power is Control
by Rikuriroxa
Summary: Voldemort comes back in Harry's 4th year. She's a woman with an unnatural attraction to the boy who lived. Follow her nefarious plots, and Harry's desperate attempts at avoiding being manipulated by someone in the shadows. fem!Voldemort
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I really enjoyed the fem Voldemort take and want to see a more romance centered story regarding it. Alas its a rare thing. Now I am not a writer. I am a reader. And my story will obviously reflect that. Feel free to flame, call me garbage/whatever. I don't particularly mind. I got thick skin. I started this story with a clear start, middle and end. That view was shatter before the first page was done. Every sentence I wrote, every single thing I threw at the characters, my mind immediately rewrote how they reacted. This story's direction literally changes with every paragraph. I've no blooming clue how its gonna go. I can tell you that, while there may be tragic parts, it wont end tragically. I can't stand that shit. If I focus hard on a character, don't expect them to end horribly. They may die, but at the very least it'll be with a smile on their face.

I'm not gonna bother telling you all what I own and don't. That disclaimer is in the URL.

Chapter 1

Harry Potter felt his feet slam into the earth as the force clenching his navel receded. He immediately fell on his arse giving him the perfect view of Cedric Diggory's more controlled descent. It seemed that, surprise or not, portkey travel was going to be a means of travel that would always be embarrassing for him. Taking a brief moment to collect his wits, he gazed around at his surroundings. They had apparently been portkeyed to a cemetery.

"Do you think this is still part of the task?" Cedric asked.

Harry didn't reply quickly, still somewhat disoriented. "It could be," he said after a pause. "But I doubt it. Why would we still be in the tournament after we've got the Triwizard Cup?"

Cedric nodded. "Wands out then. Just to be safe." The statement was more of a comfort, as neither had bothered to put their wands away.

They both proceeded forward amongst the tombstones, wary of any lurking dangers. Unfortunately, invisibility always gives the enemy an advantage in a fight. Two pale jets of light shot from a large angel statue, one after the other, striking both boys and making their bodies rigid. The air then rippled and Peter Pettigrew appeared, wand in one hand, a blanketed bundle in the other.

"You ought t-to know better H-Harry. I'm s-sure you have James invisibility c-cloak in your possession. Always expect an invisible f-f-foe." The once pudgy fellow looked terrible now. Face drawn, pale and clearly in dire need of a few good meals, he flicked his wand and the large angel statue vanished, leaving in its place a large bubbling cauldron.

Harry felt the blood rush to his ears. This traitor had no right to even think his fathers name, and yet he was casually talking about the past as though they were fond memories. Well as casual as anyone can be when they are clearly a nervous, jittering wreck. Harry watched as Peter stumbled on his way forward before hearing a high, piercing voice, one he would never forget.

"Careful, you imbecile. In this state I can perish easily."

Harry heard the voice come from Peter's body and quickly his brain brought up images from a past teacher. Professor Quirrel had once housed Voldemort's soul in the back of his head. His idea quickly shattered though, as the bundle in Peter's arms shifted and Harry realize that, somehow or some way, Voldemort had gain some temporary form of her own.

"Master, there are two. What shall I do with the other boy?" Peter asked. It seemed his master's rebuke had steeled his nerves, as his stutter had vanished. He still look pathetically scared of the entire situation.

"Leave him detained and unaware for now, one can never know when a convenient Imperius victim can be useful."

After hearing his master's orders, he stunned Cedric, and began to busy himself with the cauldron. Gently setting the bundle down on a hastily conjured pedestal, he went to the closest gravestone. With a sharp twist of his wand the ground split open with a sharp crack and a fine dust made its way into the cauldron.

"Bone of the father, bring your progeny back into this world again."

He walked to Harry, and as he neared, Harry saw his other hand emerge from his robes clutching a small dagger. Swiftly, Peter dug the blade into Harry's arm and, after conjuring up a vial, collected the blood before it fell to the earth.

"Blood of the enemy, forcefully taken to fuel the magic inside the new vessel." The vial was emptied carefully into the wide cauldron, as though fearful that a stray gust would make a single drop miss.

Peter then held his own arm above the cauldron, and, with the other hand holding his wand, cast a severing charm. The following shriek, Harry felt, should have been heard for miles. Someone would be coming, eventually. Hopefully it would be the helpful kind of someone. For now, however, he was forced to watch as a true nightmare, pulled straight from his subconscious mind, was being enacted before him.

"Flesh of the servant, to give form at the height of strength to one's master." The words were being forced out now, barely understandable. Harry watched as Peter levitated the bundle into the cauldron before collapsing on the ground. Probably out for the count, but he couldn't be sure. He continued to watch as the cauldron began to bubble and froth, and he was reminded of Neville Longbottom in Potions. He could only hope Peter's skill in the subject was just as sub par.

His hopes were dashed however, as the fluid surged forth, before breaking into a woman's form, a deep, gasping breath being the first thing he heard from her. Her hands tightly grasped the rim, unaffected by its heat, as she took deep breaths. Slowly her deep breaths took the form of laughter, soft at first, but quickly rising in volume, tapering off just short of obnoxious. The face, that had just before looked as though it were starved from air, had a wide, dreamy smile on it. Even Luna Lovegood couldn't smile like that.

"A body." Her voice was soft and light, a whisper really, but it carried its way to Harry's ears all the same. Her hand went to her face, softly caressing it in a downwards motion, continuing its descent until it reached her breast. It was then that she shivered, and it seemed her awareness returned. Gazing about, she glanced at Harry, still under the effects of the body bind, and then her head tilted towards Cedric at a heap, merely feet from the other boy. A one-sided smirk came to here features as she climbed out of the cauldron and retrieved her servants wand.

Giving it a flick, she said, "Sorry to end the peep show, Harry, but I've got many things to do today, and as you can see its night time already." Her lithe form was immediately covered in a robe, and she then conjured up a mirror. After a brief look at her face, she promptly kick the unconscious Peter on the ground, rolling him onto his back.

"Idiot. He misspoke the incantation. All he had to say was 'height of MAGICAL strength,' and he fails that too. Now I'm in this body that has only peaked physically." She cast a look at Harry, signifying to him that the explanation was for his benefit, before continuing. "I still have a great amount of magical power now, but it's still a fair bit lower than what it could be."

Returning her attention to the gradually paling body at her feet, her lips curled in disgust as she swiped her wand and a haze of fire burst onto Peters blood-soaked stump, cauterizing the would. Seemingly satisfied, she bent down and pulled his sleeve back exposing his tattoo. But right as she was about the press the borrowed wand into it, she paused. Once again returning her attention back to the only conscious person nearby, she stood back up and approached him.

She stopped right in front of him and cancelled his body bind. He barely was able to think of moving, before a simple flick had him dangling upside down, his nose level with hers. After a brief staring contest, she pushed her body up on the balls of her feet and locked her lips onto his.

It was like someone had poured liquid fire into his skull. Harry would be loathe to admit it to anyone, but Voldemort was not unattractive. His hormonal brain had its normal response when presented the image of a fit and nude young woman and had it not been for the body bind, evidence of his... discomfort may have been visible. On any other day, with any other person, he would probably have been delighted to find himself in this position. But alas, it was THIS day and it was with THIS woman and instead of a mind full of pleasure, he got a scar full of pain. Screaming into her mouth did nothing to deter her lips, but his open mouth presented an invitation she didn't waste. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, tasting him, and enjoying her short freedom to act as she deemed fit. But pain has only two ways to be expressed through the mouth, by violent screams, or a clenched silence. And after a short few seconds of screeching pain, Harry's jaw clenched, and his teeth snapped closed onto Voldemort's tongue.

More durable than most her body may be, when someone bites the shite out of your tongue, it hurts. Attempting to reel backwards did nothing to sever their connection due to his locked jaw. Her fist connecting with his temple on the other hand, made his muscles weaken enough for her to break free. Her enhanced body protected her enough to prevent a bloodied tongue, but the pain was still there. With another wave of her wand, he was pinned to her father's tombstone.

"Well Harry, I hope that was your first kiss. If you've had practice before, you've really let some girls down. You're not suppose to bite. Not there anyway."

The pain in Harry's skull was receding quickly, not all gone, but enough to were he could now think about something other than his imploding skull. "Have you lost your mind? What the hell was that for?" Such an intimacy had been forced upon him, with a person he despised no less. He couldn't fathom as to why she had desired to do so. Last he had been aware, she had despised him as much as he had despised her. Even though their last encounter had been around 2 years ago, he still fervently remembered her teen-aged self hissing at a large basilisk to devour his body, crush his skull. The thought was easily reinforced by the fact that she looked so alike to that image, no older than 20 now, if even that.

The Dark Lord allow a small smile to slide onto her face. She was not aware of their encounter in his second year, as the diary horcrux was so far removed from her own soul, she had no way of knowing what a had transpired. Her last memory of the boy was 3 years prior, clinging to that wretch of a servant, Quirinus Quirrel. She recalled the desire she had felt for him then. It had almost disgusted her, at the time, because she had been unaware as to what precisely caused the feelings. It wasn't helped the fact that the body she had been using at the time was so unsuited to her. A middle aged wizards body trying to convey a sense of almost sexual need to a woman's soul was unpleasant, unnatural, and most assuredly, unwelcome. It didn't help that the object of that desire was 11. At the time she had simply blamed Quirrel, thinking him to be a more perverse person than she had imagined. Several times she had inflicted pain upon him, for desires he honestly had no control over. It was only after the confrontation, when her form had been once again reduced to that of a wraith, that she had realized what the feelings were.

Poor little Harry Potter was now irrevocably hers. She had marked him for the rest of his life to prove it. That scar on his head held more than just bad memories for him. It now held a sliver of her very own soul. As she had had no true body of her own when they had met 3 years ago, she felt that soul piece call to her wraith form far more strongly than the devotion of her servant's body. The desire of having her soul fragments merge was simply expressed in a sexual desire, as that was as close as humans were capable of becoming.

Now however, she was in possession of a body that was truly her own. Practically hand crafted to match the one she had previously been born with, the only true difference was its durability. Unmarred by the rituals she had once cast upon herself, all in the desire to make herself invulnerable. Now it was a simple mortal shell that could be destroyed as any other body could, but her soul remained tethered, so she was not immediately concerned. Rituals could be performed at a later time after all.

It was the desire she still felt now, that had thrown her off center. Her smile slowly faded as she realized that with a body of her own, she had truly thought she wouldn't feel any desire for him. A hypothesis that was true, until she came within 5 feet of him. It hit her then, with the force of and power of a hundred Imperius curses all layered with the same intent. Become one. Take him. Drown him within herself. Overwhelm his resistance. The resulting kiss had been born of that intent, and had he not bit down on her tongue with all his might, she wasn't positive that they wouldn't be rutting one another over her disgrace of a father's final resting place even now.

Voldemort didn't realize, at first, that the desire's were a one way street.

She was quickly coming to that conclusion however as she took in the sight if him. Despite the pain she knew he felt when their lips had locked, she thought his heavy breathing and flushed face, covered in a sheen of sweat was a product of lust. But their kiss had been ended for several moments now and he was showing no signs of recovering. His breath was just as laboured, and though the blood in his face was receding, she felt that that was more due to the bleeding wound in his arm than anything else.

Her initial flirting comment about peeping had been made on the premise that she had overcome the desire. That the new body she had, had effectively rid her of such a potential weakness, while he himself could only look at her in wanting. But even with the perfect body now tethering her soul, she still wanted him and the piece of herself he held inside. As for his own desires. There were none.

How could she have assumed such a silly thing. He had no reason to want her. His soul was whole and secure. There were no fragments calling to one another. No irrational needs of fulfillment had consumed him, except maybe a brief image cause by her nudity from a minute ago. Her plans would need to change.

Had the connection they shared been anything less, she would have removed his head from his shoulders. But he was a Horcrux. He had been unknowingly bestowed upon the greatest honour she could conceive for a loyal servant. Though she felt he was certain he didn't share the viewpoint. Originally she was going to restore her body, summon her loyal followers, Imperius the boy and vanish into the night to start her dastardly plots. The Imperius curse would be easy to manage on the boy, as it could only be fought with will power alone, and what will could his hormonal body muster, when he was constantly assailed with physicals urges anytime she was near. And she would always be near. She would have kept him holed up in a shrunken room, disguised as a locket around her neck. She internally chuckled at the thought. There would have been two lockets that held a piece of her soul.

But it was now apparent that her plans wouldn't hold. He was not shackled to her in any way now, and she still had no desire to destroy a fragment of her soul. She would have to think on her feet, roll with the new developments as they came. She had time, Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew) being unconscious, the other boy stunned and Harry gazing up at her, questioningly... Questioning... Oh, his question.

"Have you lost your mind? What the hell was that for?" Harry kept his eyes levelled on her as she stood before him, uncertain as to whether she was plotting his imminent demise, or planning to sexually assault him further. He had never seen a woman look like that. It was all playful jibes and condescension as she approached, only for the look to shift as she got close enough to be considered just out of reach. A small inhale, widening of the eyes, her entire head tilting ever so slightly. And then she had kissed him. And though the pain was severe, it was fleeting, and he was feeling more and more ready to resist. Ready to fight. His eyes narrowed, focusing solely on her, as though the extra attention to detail would reveal every weakness she held.

"If you're looking for an apology, you had best look elsewhere Harry. I don't ask for anything, I just take, forgiveness being one of them." Her reply, though delayed, was just as demeaning as everything else she had done so far. As though he were a house elf, as if her deigning to respond to him was an honour in and of itself. Damn the actual words themselves. He knew she was prideful. It was prevalent in every meeting they had. Even his worst memories brought out from a dementor featured her cold and prideful laughter. She didn't look at anyone as her equal, she would not start tonight.

"I am simply revising some plans, Harry." She continued on, not aware of his angry thoughts. "Some things have gone awry and I'm not sure how to deal with them." She lowered herself to the ground in front of him and sat down. She raised her fist to her mouth, gently pressing her teeth into the knuckle of her forefinger. Her other hand started twirling Wormtails wand in her hand, the feel of it was terrible, but it was amazing to have magic at her fingertips again. Magic. Her gaze strayed to Harry's wand lying just out of his reach, had he not been bound, and summoned it to her. As soon as her hand closed around it, she knew... she KNEW that their connection was real and strong. His wand responded to her as though it were her own. She felt her magic surge into it, and once again her laughter spilled forth, it was almost like picking up her wand from Ollivander's years ago. The freedom she felt just from touching it was almost as good as having her own body again.

Harry watch as she held his wand and started laughing. He was certain she was feeling a sense of victory, her opponent bound on a tombstone, his wand in her hand. She was probably about to kill him now, and begin her horrific conquest on magical Britain again. She was close enough now that he was studiously able to see her features clearly. Her long black hair framed her youthful, pale and, he begrudgingly admitted, pretty face. Her eyes had been a dull red, but when her hand closed around his wand, they gained an almost ember like glow. She had an almost haughty face, the bones prominent and her face tilted somewhat upward, but the vision was ruined by the laughter, and the smile on her face. The image of her nakedness from minutes ago rose into his head. It, coupled with her youth, attractiveness and obvious joy sent a pulse of fire to his groin and, quick as a flash of lightning, her laughter stopped.

Voldemort's joy at feeling her magic once again was put on pause as she felt a most unexpected thrill of arousal. It was so unexpected the laughter died in her throat, almost in a choking manner. That wasn't hers. She may have been removed from a body for years, but she knew that an arousal like that didn't spawn from nothing, most assuredly not from her childlike joy of having magic again. That wasn't hers... so it must have been his. Her head, still tilted upwards from her laughter, lowered and she saw his somewhat appalled expression. She knew his desire had caught him off guard and she once again decided to abuse a moment of his weakness. Her lips once again closed around his own, much calmer than before, just wanting to taste what she wanted more than anything at the moment.

Harry recognized the look in her face a moment before she moved, and had just enough time to brace himself for the agony that was about to hit. Except it didn't. When her kiss landed on his lips, he was so tensed for pain, that he barely notice the discomfort his mild headache caused at their contact. His relief showed itself and he exhaled into her mouth, body relaxing as he simply allowed her lips to be present on his own.

Feeling him sigh into her mouth and relax into her kiss almost drove Voldemort over the edge. Had the boy's pubescent body betrayed him? Had his desire taken over, and was he actually going to allow her the freedom to take in as much of him as she wanted. She slid a hand around the back of his head, and with the most gentle amount of pressure, pushed his mouth into her own. She traced her tongue over his lips before pushing it inside yet again, wary of a bite, but still enjoying the thrills of his taste. All of a sudden her hand was jerked free and she heard a loud crack.

Harry was so relieved not to have felt any pain, he may have allowed Voldemort a few seconds longer to violate his mouth than he would have at any other time. Once his brain caught up with his body however, he jerked his head out of her gentle embrace. Alas, he was bound to a tombstone, so his head hit the marble with a loud crack and that, along with every other experience tonight, was enough to send him over the edge of consciousness.

Seeing what the boy in front of her had done to himself, once again had Voldemort laughing. Still, she thought, as her laughter died, the attraction was there. She had felt it. Obviously it paled to her own, but it existed. Whats more, it was a natural attraction, so it could grow.

She rose from her place in front of him and walked toward the still cooling cauldron. Yes, plans would be changed. Killing him was out of the question. It was never on the table. But the Imperius curse was not going to work either. No, she decided, plans would not be changed... they would be abolished.

Voldemort had clear goals in her mind years ago when she had begun gathering followers. Might makes right as it were, and in her mind, who was mightier than she. No one, not even that old crackpot Albus Dumbledore. He was weak were it mattered, and his age was only becoming a greater hindrance to his abilities as time passed. She wanted to rule. She wanted the entirety of wizarding world at her feet, and she had begun her plans with that goal in mind. Back then, the wizarding world was controlled by the purebloods. They held most of the key Ministry positions, and held all of the seats in the Wizengamot. So she had allied herself to the pureblood cause. But she was no politician, she had no care to be an elected official. She wanted unilateral power, and in order to have that, she would have to be declared something of a Queen. So, she needed devoted, pureblood followers. Future citizens of her utopia that she would build from the ground up. And she would be its immortal queen, never aging, ruling for all eternity. Once a follower took her mark, they stayed faithful until death. She made sure of that. She would never again allow others to abandon her. Left at an orphanage by a mother too weak to love her. Neglected by a father, who probably didn't even care enough to know she existed. Ostracised by other children in her youth for the strange things that happened around her. Even in Hogwarts, the few friends she had left her, though that may have been her cold treatment of them. She was scorned by everyone, but her plans were to make it so that SHE would always be needed. She would be the mother of a new age, and she would be recognized for it.

But now, she had another goal. No, it couldn't be called that. A goal was different, more choice oriented. This desire she felt for the boy at her father's grave was exactly what it was. She had one goal, and one desire, and she was loathe to abandon either. The boy would kneel before her, along with the rest of the magical world. She waved her wand and a plush black chair appeared in front of the cauldron and she seated herself to think.

She was young, naturally so, and had many more years ahead of her. She could bide her time if need be. The magical world was stagnant, stuck in the past and she doubted it would move much if left alone for a couple more decades. She could focus on her desire first, allow herself to naturally grow into more of her magical power, before making a play on her goal of world domination. Because the magical community in Britain was only the start. She would control it all someday. Power is control.

So the first order of business was the boy. She stared at his form over steepled fingers She knew now that she could physically entice him, but the stigma of who she was would forever taint that. That was a simple enough obstacle. All she had to do was shed her name. Voldemort's time had come and gone She was successfully vanquished by Harry Potter many years ago, sealing the damned prophecy that was foretold of her demise. She would go by her old name, given to her by her mother. Emmiline, her few friends had called her Emily for short. That issue was easily dealt with. Unfortunately, she didn't see herself attracting the boy to her permanently during his 3 month hiatus from school. Meaning she had to somehow ingratiate herself into Hogwarts.

That was going to be a problem. Something she would have to tackle right below Dumbledore's nose. And she was more than certain the man paid extra attention to Harry Potter, more so compared to his other students. She wouldn't be able to go as a student, Dumbledore, she was sure, would notice her ruse if she were to strike up a close friendship, not to mention a relationship, to Harry. She had only gotten Crouch Jr, to succeed by remaining stand-offish to Dumbledore, something he was surprised he managed considering the two had an old friendship. She also had him. by and large, stay away from Harry Potter. However, the professor route had possibilities. She knew Dumbledore struggled with finding a qualified Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, every year, a problem she held a large hand in. The jinx she had placed on the position years ago, now seemed to be a boon for herself. She could fake some documentation to have herself legally recognized as her early 20's, even if her body was only 18. And with her knowledge she could easily teach almost any subject at Hogwarts.

Of course, being a professor at his school would have its own challenges that would make his eventual seduction difficult, but was it not every young man's fantasy to have an attractive older woman come on to him. And being in the position of authority over him would allow her to take liberties she otherwise wouldn't have. A couple of secluded detention, with a few double entendres would have him panting over her, she was certain.

She stood up ready to begin the necessary steps to get rid of all evidence of her return when she paused.

An hour ago, as she was nestled in the crook of Wormtail's arm, she had been planning on summoning her followers and once again plotting the take over of Britain. Now her plans had taken such a drastic turn. For the nth time that night her eyes went to Harry Potter's body. Was this desire for him going to ruin all she had worked for? She had other horcruxes, it would not be the end of everything to rid herself of one now. Even more so, if his mere existence could change almost a years worth of carefully laid plans.

She raised her wand to him, looking at his face and summoning up all the negative emotions one needed to perform the killing curse. It was like the opposite of the Patronus charm really, same amount of power, but polar opposite in the emotions one had to hold. Any hate inspired emotion could do it. Jealousy, wrath, even pain. She lifted her wand.

"Avada Kedavra"

She watched the pale green light impact his body and sighed.

It seemed as though the emotion she needed dredge up and perform the spell correctly were not there in that instance. The killing curse when done properly would be a vibrant green. Improperly, it would be a weaker colour and simply cause one a nosebleed. That was why it was hard to kill people with the curse. To use it so arbitrarily, one simply had to have ample amounts of hate. But now, with her new body and carnal urges, she couldn't summon the negativity to do it. She was simply too happy, at the moment, with her freedom and new plans. It was fate she decided. Fate had been keeping him alive to be hers at this moment. He hadn't been destined to destroy her, his destiny was to serve, cherish and be a more devoted follower to her than any other, and she would make sure he succeeded in that endeavour.

She went to the two boys and performed the most precise memory charms she could on them. Someone would have to look very hard to discover them, and she planned on no one having to do so. For why look hard for a mystery that has its solution in front of you. Walking towards Wormtail and once again feeling disgust at merely looking at him she felt as though she had to remind herself that it was she who had control. Once again she lifted her wand.

"Avada Kedavra"

This time the green was bright and moved faster, and when it impacted the rat faced man, she had no doubt he was dead. Few things gave Emily a sense of complete control. One of them was bringing another being's life to an end. It was always in that moment after when she knew that people lived their lives at her discretion alone. That feeling was wonderful. It countered the vague sense of weakness she refused to acknowledge when she convinced herself that Harry Potter's existence was held in fortune's hands. She was well aware that she was more than capable of ending his life. It didn't have to be the killing curse. Any number of ways could accomplish it. She could easily wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze the life itself from him. She gave fate its due, but reaffirmed to herself that she was able, at any time she chose, to trump even his destiny.

She removed a shoe off of Wormtail's corpse with a swish of her wand, and then flicked it again. The shoe glowed blue, indicating it was ready to be used as a means of travel. She would have to time her magic carefully so she could destroy the portkey before they fully left, but still be certain they would make it to their destination, with only the cup in their hands. It had to be convincing that they had only used the Triwizard Cup as a means to travel. A few more bits of magic and the graveyard looked as though it hadn't seen a living soul in years, sans the two boys near her, Wormtail's body now keeping dear old dads rotting bones company in his grave. Destroying the Triwizard Cups portkey charm was imperative as anyone who looked into it would know it lead to the wrong destination. With both boys hands on the cup, with a weak sticking charm, she then placed the shoe in both of their hands and waited a short few moments.

Their bodies were lifted up and right as they vanished her wand lashed out, a sickly yellow light impacting the shoe as they left. Knowing her spell had been flawless, she trekked out on foot, needing to be a fair distance away from this particular graveyard before apparating away. She didn't want some meddling fools to trace any magical transportation to or from here... just in case. She needed to hasten her way to her old Alma Mater.

She had one more loose end and a single servant left to take care of, and both would be dealt with in one action.

A/N: I'm well aware this has been published for 24 hours, but it hadn't been beta'd, and I was too lazy to do it yesterday. It has had a look over as of today, and should read smoother, with less errors. Some woefully minor details have been changed (like placement of hands, manners of speech etc.) but they are of little consequence.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ok, well. This is where all you turkeys will see the M rating come into effect. It'll only get more risque as we proceed as well, so... yea, ya been warned. If my smut sucks, deal with it.

Chapter 2

Emily Riddle was enjoying the wind against her face as her body sped through the night air. She was capable of flight, without the aid of a broomstick, a feat that to her knowledge, no one else could manage. It took immense power and an innate sense of control over ones magic, and it was fitting that only the greatest magic user on the earth should be able to do such a thing.

After about 3 minutes of speeding through the air, the young woman's body started a rapid descent. She was by no means in a rush. Her pace dictated the pace of others as far as she was concerned. If you moved faster than she, you were over-eager and foolish; slower meant you were weak and couldn't keep up. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her body spun and with a crack, she vanished.

Her reappearance was directly outside the gates of Hogwarts. They were open due to all the guests watching the tournament, and even though an emergency had arisen, she doubted they had been placed on lock down. Sure enough, both hinges swung the wrought iron open and she swiftly made her way forth. As she approached the Quidditch pitch, she cast a simple glamour on herself. While there were only perhaps a handful of beings who would ever recognize her, it was surely the one place in the world that so many beings were gathered together. Many a ghost could recall her face, many portraits too, though she didn't have any plans on entering the castle, she may have to for a moment of privacy. And though all of the teachers, except Dumbledore, had long since been gone, she was more than certain that oaf Rubeus Hagrid had never forgotten her face.

She had drawn closer during her musings and was able to see the mass of people ahead. Most had abandoned the stands and were milling about. She noted 3 Aurors surrounding a young man, probably the same age as her. Her curiousity peaked about that, but the feeling didn't hold enough weight to distract her from her search. Her eyes were constantly sweeping about for her Death Eater in disguse, one which she knew she would recognize. When Alastor Moody had been in his prime, he was able to withstand even the most brutal assault of her spellfire. He was never able to best her, far from it, but he could survive. That earned him a respect she handed out rarely. She respected him far more than Dumbledore. Moody could kill, if the need arose.

Emily finally caught sight of his hobbling form, and lo and behold the young man he was assisting to the castle was none other than Harry Potter himself. Her ire immediately rose at that, Harry was hers, no one else could touch him. The irrational feeling passed quickly, but once again the strength of the possessiveness she felt for him tickled a worry in the back of her mind. Ducking behind a stand, out of veiw briefly, she cast a disillusionment charm on herself, and reemerged to follow them to the castle.

Her plan for Crouch was simple. Have him reveal himself to the public as the Death Eater he was, and take the blame for the attempted kidnapping of Harry Potter. He would then give a weak struggle, be subdued and be sent back to Azkaban, where he would inform the truly loyal followers she had there, that she was coming for them. And come for them she would. Their loyalty was true, and it would be rewarded. Though Wormtail's assistance was irrefutably valuable, it had been spurred by fear. And while she may have been forgiving of that had the fear been of her, how could she give redemption to him when his fear had been of his old friends. Such a pathetic man he had been, undeserving of the Gryffindor house he had been placed in. In truth, he didn't deserve the magic that ran through his veins.

Dear Barty on the other hand, Barty was a true believer. Not only did he have the whole-hearted faith in the pureblood doctrine, he truly believed that she was above the pathetic wretches that existed in the magical society. He saw her as the ruler she wanted to be and he would do anything to see it done. Such fanaticism, such devotion, she reveled in it. The validation some of her followers gave her, made her want to embrace her dream and immediately destroy all in her path. But she refused to rule a wrecked and shattered world. She wanted the masses to exalt her, and that would take convincing, would take effort. She didn't need everyone to be a Bartimeus Crouch Jr, she could settle for less. She would accept bowed heads and muted respect. After all, it was natural that some sheep would dislike their shepherd. As long as they knew that defiance meant death, then they could live almost normal lives.

She followed the two through the halls of Hogwarts, knowing where they were headed once they left the staircases on the third floor. Her ire was slowly returning. She knew Dumbledore would want the boy in the Hospital Wing on the fourth floor, why was her servant taking him to his office. Sure enough, the imposter Moody steered them into the door of his office and she followed after. The curse came quickly, she was almost caught of guard. Crouch had shoved the boy into his office and had turn his wand on her in moments. Clearly she was not recognized. Three dark hexes hurtled towards her torso, and she made a twirling dash two feet to the left, using the twisting momentum to help her tug her wand (Peter is dead, so his wand is now hers) out of her sleeve. With a bang, she had her follower stuck to his office door, magically silenced.

"Crucio." She snarled the words, her anger at his foolish actions evident. Though his screams were silent, she could see the veins in his neck and face pumping, the silenced howls turning those parts of his body red. She released him after a few seconds of the pain. It wasn't a punishment after all. That was nothing more than her proof to him as to who she was. She canceled the sticking charm holding him to the door and he slumped to the ground. As soon as he landed, the door was pulled open by young Harry Potter. Before she allowed her body's wants to betray her, she had him stunned inside the office before entering it herself, levitating the unconscious professor behind her.

Once they were seated in the Defense office, she removed the two spells she had placed on herself. With everyone aware of Mad-Eye Moody's paranoia, of course there were no portraits or paintings in his office that could betray her. Casting a brief glance at her incapacitated servant, she sent a stunning charm at him to make sure he wouldn't wake up any time soon. A couple a fast spells warded and locked the door.

With everything now fully under her control, she decided to once again indulge herself. Lifting Harry's body onto the bed, she moved her own body over him and began to lightly press her face against his scar.

What a lovely surprise this was. She had thought he would be out of her reach for days, and in less than an hour after she had him, he was once again in her embrace. She was aware she was on something like a time budget, but when one had such grand plans as she did, if she never stopped to smell the roses when they were placed in front of her, she never would get the chance. She took at moment to study his face. He was so young, she could see that now. When he look at her so defiantly it was easy to see him as an adult. So mature, so foolishly brave in the face of her overwhelming might. But now, as she looked at his sleeping face, she could see the youth. It was like a bucket of cold water on her libido. While he may have been almost 15 years old, she was well over 60, despite her teenage body. And even then, her body was fully mature, he had a few years to go before he caught up with her in that regard.

Emily Riddle wasn't the type of woman who considered the feelings of others before she exploited them. She also didn't too much care for social norms. Shehad personally ended the lives of hundreds after all. She was at her core, someone who did as she pleased, a truly selfish being. She was unsure as to why his age affected her so. She had few sexual desires at this age 50 years ago. A woefully small amount if her memory was correct, and it always was. Any urges she may have had back then were never towards another person, simply a product of her age and hormones. They were all easily dealt with in her own bed, with her own wand and hands. This was the first time she could remember truly desiring another and now it was being thwarted by a conscience?

That wouldn't do, not at all. Closing her eyes, she focused on their connection, while gently kissing his scar. Even though the fire inside of her had just been put out, the flames roared back with such force at her thoughts. As the emotions swelled within her, she noticed his stunned body start to fidget. She was happy to ignore his discomfort, he would not remember it after all. By the time he woke up, he would be fine. Gently ghosting her lips across his face, she began to grind her hips over his own. Searching for friction, a release she had never before obtained with the help of another.

The heat pooled into her stomach, an empty ache reverberating throughout her body. An ache that was at the same time pleasant and almost painful. But it would not be addressed now, she was getting close, she could feel it. For the first time in decades she was about to experience the peak of physical pleasure and nothing would get in the way.

Except, of course, Albus Dumbledore.

The moment that old fool started attempting to unravel the ward she placed on the door, she felt him there. With a roar of frustration she swung her wand in a wide arc, placing a wall of fiendfyre at the entrance. While the dark magic was one of the most difficult to control, she could manipulate it perfectly. She had moments before he would breach her ward, but the dark magic would delay him a good deal longer. With a dissappointed groan, she pulled her body off of the teenager below her, placing a forceful and heated kiss to his lips before pulling out her wand and walking to her still slumped servant.

Unhappy with the way she would have to proceed to get things done, she pointed her wand to Crouch's temple and began creating a memory there. One in which she explained her plan in great detail to him.

He would explain his mother and father's plan to get him out of prison. Then he would explain his escape from his father's clutches. He would tell them how he bested Alastor Moody and used Polyjuice to impersonate him. He would admit to bringing Harry Potter into his office to kill. A long awaited revenge for his master. He had waited until tonight with the honest hope of one of the tasks in the tournament doing it for him as he had never had intentions of going to Azkaban. The portkey had been a trap, but he must have bungled the charm and the boy had survived. They tusseled in his office with Crouch managing to stun Harry, but a wave of raw magic slammed Crouch into the wall, rendering him unconscious. It would all add up. Creating a portkey was notoriously difficult. It was rare but sometimes, the travel would leave a group in limbo for a time before spitting them back out near the point they left at. Crouch knew he was to return to Azkaban and let her faithful know of her return. To be ready to take their places at her side once again. Soon they would all be free and more importantly they would once again wave the Dark Lords banner in the sky.

She could feel Dumbledore casting an old magick, dousing the dark flames quickly. She was surprised he would resort to such a draining spell. He would be immensely tired after this. Should she stay and strike him down while he was weak. No, she was unaware of how many were with him. And while she knew she could end his interference here, she was not ready for the world to know of her return. Still she filed away his drastic measures for later thought. Why go into such a potentially dangerous situation so weakened? Did the old fool think he was so strong? Or was Harry Potter just that important to him. Her possesiveness rushed forth again. Only she could place such importance on him. The thought was in every way unfair, as she had attempted to end his life a mere hour ago.

With one final look at Harry Potter she pulled another trick from her vast knowledge of spells and allowed her form to fade into a dark mist, one that seeped into the opposite wall and bled into the cool night air.

Albus Dumbledore was in shock at the dark magic in front of him. He was more certain than ever that his old friend Alastor had never stepped foot into the classroom he agreed to teach. He should've known. Once upon a time the two would share drinks almost nightly, their camaraderie was well known. But Alastor had pulled away from him this year and he had allow himself to think the man had simply been uncomfortable surrounded by so many people... so many potential threats as he would think. An error in judgement that may very well cost him the life of a student. And not just any student, but one he found himself caring for very much.

Harry Potter was on the road to becoming a beacon of hope and goodness in the world. His selflessness was boundless and Albus doubted the boy held a single dark bone in his body. How could he, when his own family treated him in a manner most foul and he never once fought back. Never tried to make them cower before him and his abilities. No, Harry Potter was made of the best humanity had to offer and Albus would put everything he had on the line to make sure he grew into it.

And so he began chanting an old spell, one that's effect was easy enough to understand. It would smother any other foreign magic with overwhelming force. Snuffing it out essentially. To use it on a powerful bit of magic, like fiendfyre, would be costly, but it was the fastest method. As soon as the flames died, he focused on the room before him. Harry was laid out on the bed and the would be Alastor Moody was slumped against the wall. Albus took two quick strides to the bed and felt for Harry's pulse before allowing the fatigue to bring him to his knees. He was alive. He was unaware of the state of the boys injuries, but he lived and his heartbeat was strong.

Right behind him stood Severus Snape, and bringing up the rear was the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge. Madame Promfrey would be along a few short seconds later, the men's strides had been longer than her own. Snape's beady eyes took stock of the room and its inhabitants carefully, but the Minister voiced his concern immediately.

"Good heavens, what on earth is going on here?" An idiotic question if there ever was one, as the only two occupants who had been in the room for any real amount of time were unable to answer.

"Calm yourself Cornelius. We shall get to the bottom of this." Dumbledore's response was strong though he had yet to rise up from the bed. "Madame Pomfrey, if you could please see to Mister Potter and make sure he makes it to the Hospital Wing?"

"Of course, Headmaster." Poppy quickly began looking over the boy, making certain it was safe to move him, before levitating out of the room towards the staircase.

When she left the room, Dumbledore struggled to his feet. An arm presented itself to him and he leaned on it to gain his balance.

"Thank you Severus. Tonight I feel is one of the few nights I may feel all my 112 years of age."

Snape never known for his kind responses simply said, "Well, you've always looked it, at least."

The snarky response got Dumbledore to chuckle. "As always Severus, your blatant take on things truly places things into perspective for me." Dumbledore now seated himself on the unoccupied bed and started speaking with the Minister.

"I fear that things have been quite amiss with my friend recently, Cornelius. He has been avoiding me somewhat, and I have unfortunately allowed the unusual act to fall through investigation. I believe we have ourselves an impostor here, and we should wake him and find out what he has been up to."

With that Severus turned to the man, and with a simple 'Ennervate', their talks began. They learned of a mother's love to save her son, unwavered over the guilt of his crimes. They learned of an escape and a plot to end the life of a child. They heard how the plan failed and how the culprit decided to finish the attempt with his own hands. And at the end, they knew of the lucky bit of panicked magic that had burst from the boys body, subduing his attacker in the process.

Bartemius Crouch admitted his guilt freely and held no reservation for their questions. While he had no remorse for his actions, he made no attempt at defending them either.

"Right then, I'll contact the aurors on the grounds. Have them escort this criminal to Azkaban first thing. Take that Bulgarian boy in for questioning as well. Can you believe that, and international Quidditch star using such awful magicks." Cornelius wasted no time, and his voice slowly faded as he got further away.

"What do you think of all this Albus?" Snape asked.

"It all speaks for itself one would think. It all fits together perfectly, but I've made too many errors in regards to Harry's, and my other student's, safety recently. I'll look into this matter personally."

Severus Snape nodded his head and with a swish of his cloak, turn around and left the room.

Albus sighed, now alone in the room with only his various thoughts as company. Something about the entire situation was off. He had been certain that the plot had been far more sinister than it was currently appearing to be. For Albus had a great many instruments in his office that monitored the blood protection on Harry Potter. Many were warded to pull at his magic when those protections were triggered. And he had been feeling those tugs at his magic ever since Harry vanished from the maze. He feared the worst, that Voldemort has orchestrated an abduction. He was uncertain as to what the end result would have been, but he was sure Harry would not have survived the confrontation. His relief in knowing the boy was going to be alright, and would recover was immeasurable.

Still, there were far too many signs pointing towards the involvement of Lord Voldemort. Albus approached the multi spaced trunk in which the Death Eater said his real friend remained. Albus may not have been as competent as Poppy in magical healing, but assumed that Moody's injuries wouldn't be severe. Crouch would need Moody's body in good health, as if Moody's condition were to decline, the Polyjuice potion would reflect that. And Dumbledore doubted that Crouch would want to carry out his plans in a sickly, weakened form. Finding him in the last compartment of the trunk, he magically lifted his old friend from the compartment and revived him. Moody came to slowly, a side effect of long term stupification.

"About damn time, Albus. How long did that bugger manage to pull the wool over your eyes?" Moody's tone was not as loud as normal, but the gruffness was still present.

"Long enough, I am afraid, that I no longer need you to keep the promise you made to me." Dumbledore replied.

Moody's eyes widened at that. "Dammit all Albus, how did you let that little shite masquerade as me for an entire year?"

Dumbledore proceeded to tell Moody of the impostor's movements and plans. He apologized for Moody's suffering. admitting that he had allowed far too many inconsistencies slip through the cracks. Moody easily enough forgave him, after all no one would ever have expected anyone to successfully take Alastor Moody alive. Dumbledore then asked how he had been taken captive, and once again his worries surfaced. There had been two assailants. Crouch was not alone. Dumbledore doubted Cornileus would allow the headmaster to speak with him until after his incarceration, so he would have to wait.

"Alastor, I fear there was a far darker result that was originally intended with tonight's abduction of Harry Potter. I have been unable to piece together the true story, however, and would like to hear you thoughts."

The two men spent several minutes discussing what they knew, and neither were able to make any real headway.

"I feel as though there is enough circumstance for us to call together the old guard." Dumbledore announced at the end of their discussion.

"You really want to bring back the Order over some smoke and mirrors, Albus. Aren't you being a bit paranoid?" The irony was not lost on either of them that the word paranoid had escaped Moody's lips. Indeed Albus saw his grizzled face lift into a smirk at his own statement.

"It may not be neccessary, but I feel it would be prudent to take every precaution. A normal gathering to discuss recent events and have everyone keep their ears to the ground. Perhaps sticking to monthly meetings to go over any information that has been uncovered. Of course, if an emergency arises, we can use the old methods of communicating swiftly and gather together."

"I agree to be honest. After all, constant vigilance never hurt anyone, well no one who was using it anyway."

With that agreement made, Albus helped Moody to floo to St. Mungos to get checked out for long term spell damage. He then went to the Hospital Wing to check on Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory's conditions, before returning to his office and starting to write the first of many letters to many old acquaintances.

Harry awoke in a familiar white room. The Hospital Wing was as close to a bedroom as his dormitory, and far more of one than than the one at Privet Drive. That, of course, didn't mean he enjoyed waking up there. He rather disliked it, and each year he managed to find himself here before the end of the term.

After looking around for the matron, and not finding her, he slid his legs over the side of the bed and seated himself. Everything in his brain was covered in a light fog. He struggled to remember how he wound up here. He recalled waking up to the morning of the final task. He remembered the Weasleys visiting him, and wishing him the best of luck, and then entering the maze itself. Thats when things really got fuzzy. He recalled bits and pieces of his performance in the last task, and vaguely knew that both he and Cedric had grasped the cup... but after that, it was static. All he could recall was white. Nothing else.

No sooner had he finished his musing than the door opened to reveal Professor Dumbledore. The old headmaster approached Harry's bed and sat down in the chair beside it before speaking.

"Its good to see you awake now, Harry. You gave us all quite the fright last night."

"I'm sorry sir, but I have no idea what happened." If there was one person Harry had full trust in, other than Sirius Black, it was Albus Dumbledore. The man might withhold the truth from him, but Harry knew he would never lie.

"I'm afraid we are a bit skeptical on the details itself Harry. Let me tell you what we know, and you can attempt to fill in missing bits with anything you recall." Dumbledore then told Harry everything he knew. From the malfunctioning portkey, to the Death Eater's failed assassination. As Dumbledore spoke, Harry did remember a portkey delivering him back to the front of the quidditch pitch, he even recalled following Professor Moody to his office and being flung inside. But when he had gathered his bearings and opened the door to leave all he recalled was a slumped Professor... and then everything went black again. He told Dumbledore as much.

"Most intriguing, Harry. Is there perhaps, any other detail, no matter how small it may seem that you have yet to tell me?"

Harry, in fact did know of one other detail, but he was never going to tell another soul. For in between the darkness and his waking here, he had had the most erotic dream involving Cho Chang grinding her body against his and kissing his face. That one would never come out of his mouth, no matter if he was to even be tortured.

Indeed, Albus Dumbledore noticed the young man's blush, and assuming something along the lines of what Harry was thinking of, did not press the issue. Feeling that he had gained all the information here that he could, he stood.

"Well Harry, I will see to it your friends know you are feeling better. Madame Promfrey will be along soon to check you over one last time before you may go down for a nice lunch."

"Professor, what happened to Crouch?"

"Well the senior is still missing, but as for his son... He should be in Azkaban by now. There was some talk of him going directly for the Dementors for the Kiss, but as he had not performed any unforgivable curses, and did not break out of Azkaban willingly, he was shown a small leniency."

"Even though he tried to kill me, sir?"

"It would seem our non-magical counterparts see things better in that regard Harry. Perhaps it is our ability to use magic to heal even the most grievous of wounds, but attempted murder is not as such a punishable crime on our side of the world."

Harry nodded in his understanding. "One last thing sir, how are the other champions?"

Dumbledore frowned at this, "Cedric is doing quite well. Alas Mr. Krum, it would seem, performed the Cruciatus curse on Ms. Delacour. She is at St. Mungo's while Mr. Krum, in currently being held in custody. The Bulgarian ministry is demanding his release, and the incident has devolved into somewhat of a pissing contest between our two governments. Pardon my choice of words."

"I don't really see Krum as the type of person to do that ,to be honest, professor."

"I am inclined to agree, I believe he was compelled by Mr Crouch to do anything he had to eliminate your competition. Unfortunately, my speculations, though often right, are unable to help in the matter. Anything else you would like to know?"

"No , but thank you, sir."

As soon at the gratitude left his lips, the matron walked in and stepped right up to his bed and began waving her wand over him. Her lips were pursed and Harry had the feeling her anger was more directed to Dumbledore than himself. After all, Madame Promfrey had been against this tournament from the beginning, and after every task she had to look after him.

"You're welcome Harry. I must be leaving now, but we will be overjoyed to see you at the feast later."

And with that, Dumbledore made a hasty retreat. Madame Promfrey's cold glare followed him out the door, before returning to Harry's face and softening considerably.

"Well, Potter. You're as healthy as you're going to get today, you may leave."

"Thank you, Madame Promfrey. Have a good day."

And with that last remark, he leapt off the bed and sped through the door, eager to find his friends. And perhaps get another glimpse at Cho again. If his dream was anything to go by, he may have had a bit of a crush.

A/N: FF.N has very strict rules in regards to sexual content. Therefore, you will probably never get anything graphic from my work. No 'He stuck his fat **** into her tight ***" However, I plan on hammering away at the emotional side of the sexual encounters, something I feel that gets most people more hot under the collar than the graphic descriptions ^_^ As you have noticed by now... there will be non consensual encounters here. Will I go as far as having Harry be raped? Doubt it. Emily is more than capable of blocking Harry's pain out of her mind, but that is because its part of an emotion she doesn't want. She does want his lust however, and will do whatever it takes to get it willingly. Now, I can't guarantee he won't get nailed with a love potion, or a certain spell that will... sway the cards in her favor, but he wont be getting tied up and abused... at least not in that way. Once again, this thing has a mind of its own, so I've no idea where we are heading. One last bit. This story will be covering years. While I may not know WHERE we are going, Im more than well aware of some stops we will eventually make. If I can muster the willpower to finish it anyway. I'm aware that the first two chapters have only covered 2 hours, but I'm new at this thing. Work with me. Things will eventually progress. TTFN


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Well you guys are gonna see what happens in a fic when you have Lord Voldemort as a main character. Emily is not a nice person guys, and y'all will see for yourselves. I've decided to pretty much ignore Harry's scar's pain when in the vicinity of Emily, by using the acclimation excuse. Learn to deal. Dream scene is kinda... out of place, maybe? Just felt kinda weird to me. But I need to make use of it as a plot point later on.

Chapter 3

He saw her at the door of his room. Her long black hair obscured most of her face, but he knew she was beautiful. She stalked towards his bed, slowly, gracefully, like a predator about to pin her prey. And he knew without a doubt, that now, he was being hunted. And he so desperately wanted to be caught. When she finally reached the bed, she didn't join him on it. Instead she leaned her body over him and began to run her hands all over him. It was a maddening feeling. Feather light touches kissed his skin everywhere. His breathing hitched from its peaceful rhythm and she froze. The pause was brief and when she began touching him again it was more forceful.

Though her hair hid most of her face, he could easily see the smile that came to her face, knowing he was awake. Her forceful touch was only drawing his desire to touch back even more. And he knew that she was tempting him, wanting him to lose control, to stop his facade of sleep and reciprocate her actions.

She finally lowered herself to the bed, her hands making quick work of the bottoms he had worn to sleep. Her hands were amazing, already pushing him at a steady pace. Her mouth had seized his own, her tongue slipping inside quickly. It seemed his shadowy lover preferred the dominance. The pressure within him was building at a remarkable pace, he was almost there when sh...

'Tap, tap tap.'

Harry Potter jolted awake at the sound of the owl at his window. That dream again. He rarely had such dreams at night in the past. Honestly the first time he ever had one was two months ago, after he suffered an attack at school. Now it would seem that Cho Chang had decided to torment his dreams almost every night. After all, how many witches did he know with long black hair and a beautiful smile. Well there were actually a few girls who fit that criteria. But he believed the dreams to be of Cho, because he was undeniably crushing on her.

The dim morning light did nothing to alleviate what seem to be his permanent head ache. His skull had been throbbing for well over a week now. It had gotten to the point that it barely registered. Awful enough that it was, but he felt he was getting used to the pain.

Getting up to let the offending bird in, he was happy to see that it was Pigwidgeon, Ron's own personal hyperactive ball of feathers. Ron's letter contained the normal banter all of his letters did. How are you? The family's doing good. Hermione's last letter was annoying. We hope to get you out of there soon. Don't let the muggles get you down. Honestly it was as if Ron made copies of the same letter and only changed mild details, or threw in a comment on how the Cannons were fairing this year.

Still it wasn't the content of the letter that Harry appreciated. It was that someone cared. It was sad that as many people who knew of his horrible summers with his relatives, the only real correspondences were held with his two best friends, his god father, and his half giant friend Hagrid. And even Hagrid's letters were only on his birthday. It was depressing seeing as he had finally found a place he belonged at the age of 11, only to be so famous there that few people were comfortable enough to be good friends with him. Oh he got along alright with most of his school mates, Malfoy being the glaring exception, but no one ever seemed to care about Harry Potter over the summer. When it came to the existence of Harry Potter, most people had an 'out of sight, out of mind' take on it.

It was with a deep sigh that Harry made his way downstairs and began cooking breakfast for the Dursley's. Later on, he decided, he would get some fresh air, and try to lose this overwhelming feeling of being alone in a world so full of other people.

Several hours before young Harry would be awoken by an owl, Emily Riddle' was standing inside of a muggle home Despite her despise for muggles, she supposed they had uses as a labor force. While physical labor could be done much faster with a wand, she felt that a workforce of six billion people could be of use somewhere. And magical ability or not, as long as it screamed in pain under the Cruciatus, it held some appeal to her. Though, having been a wraith for over a decade, she had had little time to entertain herself that way. Even when she had a body and her faithful were by her side, the torture curse was mostly used on those who failed her. She would have to rectify that in the future. All the muggles she had ever met with were filth, and she would start treating their entire kind like the garbage they were more often.

So one could be wondering why Emily was currently surrounded by muggles at the current moment. Indeed, the home she was in was filled with 8 burly muggle men moving around furniture and appliances. Placing things in their proper places. It was entirely too silent however, and each muggle's eyes were glazed over, obvious signs of the Imperius curse. She had been forced to Imperius them and portkey them here from a different location. She couldn't use wand related magic here.

She walked out the door of her new abode, and took a deep breath of air, the number 7, three feet away from her shoulder, on the side of the home. The street she was on, Emerald Drive coincidentally enough, ran parallel to Private Drive, just a street north of her. It was far too easy to track Potter to the place he lived, but unfortunately she was unable to be within a broad perimeter of his home. It was like a great dome extended over the area and sky above it, and she could not approach. Her annoyance at this had been great. How was she to meet her unaware lover, if she could not go to his house. Fortunately the previous owners of this home had very recently passed away and anyone who would think to ask questions about their disappearance, would absent mindedly remember something of great importance they needed to get done.

Still, in regards to the peculiar ward on Harry Potter's home, it wasn't as though she were helpless in the situation. She was after all, the most powerful being on the planet. In the dead of night she had taken flight and just above the dome like ward she began poking at it. Nothing that would trigger anything of course. Heck it wasn't even something that would come up at the ministry as actual spell casting. Just a simple bit of probing to figure out just what the ward was.

She had an innate sense of magic, could feel and identify most things just through touch alone. A sense that had only grown with her rebirth, aided, she believed, by the fact that her body was crafted through magic. Her findings were fruitful. Most powerfully was an intent ward. Anyone wishing to any sort of harm to the boy would not be able to pass. If they attempted to force their way through, the result would end badly... and permanently. Though it was like many other intent wards, its power was immeasurable. Even at the height of her power, she knew she would not break through this ward. The boy would never come to harm from someone outside this ward. He was untouchable. And that was the very opposite of what she wanted. She wanted very much to touch him. And in every place her hands could go.

Running her hand through the dark strands of her hair, she kept searching, knowing the intent ward should not affect her. She very much wanted the boy alive and healthy so this ward should not impede her. The next ward was what had surprised her. It was the most basic ward one could have, one that prevented a single person from crossing. Herself. However, such a ward would need her direct magical signature to properly be placed, and only her wand and her Horcruxes could provide that.

Her immediate thought was that Albus Dumbledore knew of the boy's condition, and had used him as the signature to key her out. But that was unlikely. Surely if Albus Dumbledore knew of the sliver of her soul in the boy, he would have done away with him as a child. She knew the shrewd man was a master of manipulation, a firm believer in the 'Greater Good'.

The answer came to her like a lightning bolt. That damnable Lucius Malfoy, she thought with a snarl. Wormtail had told her of the Pureblood man's attempt to discredit the Weasley family by putting her diary in the hands of the youngest daughter. A bit of intelligence she knew he had only gained by being a pet of the family for so many years. Still, that explained how Dumbledore had keyed the wards, and if so, then she knew he was aware of her soul anchors. She would have to check on all of them and soon. But for now she still had to find a way around this ward. It was a simple, but effective, ward, and could be bypassed in a handful of ways. Most would require Albus Dumbledore's assistance, and she was completely unwilling to try and pull the wool over his eyes here. But the simplest one would be to simply walk through the ward with the person it was tied to protecting. She couldn't enter it alone, but if Harry was beside her, she would pass through it easily enough. Of course magic was all about intent. She wouldn't be able to sneak beside him and creep her way through the ward. He had to intend for her to follow him through. And that would be difficult. How to get him wanting her to be near just as they passed through the ward.

She couldn't possibly know that Harry Potter, one of the most beloved figures in the magical world, felt so alone. That the one thing he craved for most during the summer months was a companion, someone he could look foreword to spending time with. Anyone who just enjoyed his presence, unlike the Dursleys who would prefer him to not be there at all.

So as Emily set her own wards around the one that protected Harry. It would alert her if any magical signature crossed. Hopefully, Dumbledore didn't have people constantly checking in on the boy, or she would be up at all hours to check what breached the ward. It seemed as being close to him during the summer may be the hardest part of her plan so far. She would be pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong mere hours later.

Harry Potter stepped out of the door to number 4 Privet Drive early that morning. Only being a couple hours after sunrise, he had finished breakfast and cleaned the kitchen under his aunt Petunia's watchful gaze and asked to be excused for the rest of the day. Uncle Vernon having still been seated at the table with the morning paper did not overhear him, as if he had, he would have given Harry a list of things to get down. His aunt, recently, had taken to preferring him out of the house as opposed to remaining inside doing the housework. Something he took advantage of, and was now wandering down the street, heading to the public park a couple blocks over.

He had been seated on one of the swing sets, enjoying the freedom of being outside the house, but once again the loneliness was eating away at him. It was times like these when he remembered why his disliked his cousin so much. Had Dudley not forced the other children at the local primary school into believing that he was a freak, he may have had some friends he could spend the summer months with. But now, no one wanted to talk with the 'Potter boy'. A miscreant, always causing trouble, so much that he now attended a boarding school for most of the year. St. Brutus Center for Incurably Criminal Boys, however, didn't seem to be as effective as its name sounded, Dudley would tell the neighborhood, as Harry was still as much as a delinquent as he had always been.

As Harry was dragging his feet on the ground from the swing, swaying himself forwards and back, he didn't the young woman enter the park. She had light brown hair with the most interesting ice blue eyes. She had a good figure and she walked with the confidence one would only expect to find on someone much older.

"Your a little old for the swings, aren't you?"

The sarcastic tone took him unaware as he hadn't hear anyone approach. He leapt up, hand already touching the wand in his back pocket before realizing that he was supposedly safe in the muggle world. Indeed the woman who had just spoke to him screamed muggle. Dressed in a pair of tight denim pants and a gray cashmere sweater, the image screamed local college student. If she had on a pair of glasses and a book in her hand, he wouldn't have taken any other guesses.

"Sorry about that, you snuck up on me." Looking down at the wood chippings covering the park floor to protect children from falls, and hearing them crunch under his weight, he grimaced. She must think him daft.

"Don't worry about it, I find myself constantly surprising those around me. Its not a shock that you're in the same boat."

Harry felt that if he had heard that from anyone else, he would have found them far too boastful for a first impression. But the way she said it, without any real vocal inflection, as if she was talking about the weather, made it sound like a trivial thing. Moreso, her posture screamed intimidating and yet, relaxed. One foot forward, knee somewhat bent, ready to spring at any sign, but also leaning the rest of her body against the swingset. Once again, on any other person, it would have looked odd, but she somehow managed to make it look natural.

The response she had given him, left him zero room to work with, so he pushed forward with proper etiquette.

"Well, its nice to meet you miss. I'm Harry. Harry Potter." Immediately after the name left his lips, he cringed. Not that he was worried of a young muggle woman knowing of his fame, but not wanting to immediately be recognized for the reputation his cousin had spread around the neighborhood. She made no sign of recognition, something her next words explained.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry. My name is Emma, and I'm new to the area."

The slight inflection she placed on 'pleasure' sent a shiver right down his spine. It wasn't a good one either, it was nervous. For when she said that word, her smile looked hungry, but as she finished the sentence, it was back to normal. Harry honestly thought he had imagined it. In any case, he quite liked her smile. Most looks he garnered at this time of year, were of unease, or, in the case of his relatives, distaste.

Putting on a small smile of his own, he said "I'd offer you the swing next to me, but apparently its not a good look for you." His own rude comment caught him off guard. But to be fair, the only time he had ever dealt with any sort of negativity from a woman, was normally Pansy Parkinson, and he always had a scathing reply ready for her.

She seemed to respond well enough to it however, her smile widening as she replied, "Everything looks good by being in my presence. Even you. Still, I wouldn't lower myself to sitting on a child's plaything in a public place."

It could be said that Harry was a stranger to flirting. He would even admit to knowing practically nothing about women. He would then present the formal ball he had attended the year before as evidence, as it ended up being an awful evening. But that comment from her was blatant. Its hard for a plane to go over your head when it has no intentions of leaving the tarmac. As such, he once again had no immediate reponse. He just didn't know how. He was mentally grasping for a subject to talk about, but the only thing he could think of was Quidditch, and she already thought he was daft, he didn't want her to think he was round the bend with the talk of flying broomsticks.

Luck appeared to be on his side as she continued talking. "Come, there is a bench in that direction. Keep me company." And without another word, she walked off. Didn't even look back at him, just assuming he would follow. As if her directions had never before been disobeyed. Rich? Maybe, he thought to himself. She's probably been ordering people around her entire life, doesn't even realize its rude. Once again he found himself thinking how different she was to other's he interacted with. He felt out of his depth, maybe this was how muggles did things socially? Its not like he'd ever had any real experience in that department. Maybe muggles were more like purebloods than anyone knew. Malfoy certainly would order his thugs about and they would never question him.

Emily felt the ward trip mere hours after she had placed it, thinking her luck was certainly high. Harry Potter had been away from the wizarding world for barely more than a week, and she hadn't been near him in close to a month. It was an experience she was curious about. His presence drew her in completely, but was she able to stay away from him without any ill effects? The results she found were somewhat mixed. While she originally thought she had no side effects from their separation, she found that wasn't the case. After the first week of not being near him, her appetite had vanished. While her body was a magical facsimile, and didn't actually NEED food, to no longer experience any joy from taste annoyed her. Two days later, her sleep cycle abruptly stopped as well. Once again, as her body was a magical construct, she didn't physically need sleep, but the mental strain was difficult, even on her.

Her irritation was curbed easily enough however, with a dreamless sleep draught. She was easily able to take it every night and not worry about any negative side effects as once again, her body was not normal. After 3 weeks however, just after she had tracked his home down, her latest side effect emerged. She was now constantly and insatiably aroused. Nothing would curb it. She had spent an entire evening in bed, bringing herself to orgasm countless times, and the ache refused to subside. She had even been driven to find a bed fellow the next night, whose unsatisfactory performance with her ended up being the last thing he ever did. So she had spent the following seven days securing a dwelling near Harry Potter, and began acquainting herself with the area. She had even spent an entire day at a muggle shopping center to see how they dressed and interacted with one another in this new time.

So while she was able to function almost normally in her day to day life, there were some inconveniences.

She left her home, but didn't bother going to where she felt the ward trip. The ward had almost completely cut off their connection, but when he left the area of his home, it snapped back into place like a rubber band. She zeroed in on it and 'felt' her way towards him. As she came to the communities local park she drank from a flask from her pocket and her appearance changed. She saw a lone figure sitting at the swing, slowly moving back and forth. She approached, mentally and physically preparing herself for the assault she knew she would feel when she got close enough. She was pleasantly surprised that the opposite occurred. When she entered his space, she referred to it in her mind as his 'bubble', her raging arousal was doused, and she was suddenly and ravenously hungry. It would seem as if she would need to convince him to eat with her at some point today. She knew however, that if she didn't keep her mind away from sex however, the arousal would return, and she needed some trust from him before she jumped his bones.

She wasn't certain as to why the first thing out of her mouth was almost insulting. Though she herself had never been in a relationship before, she had ravaged the minds of more than her fair share of people in her life. She was more aware than most how things worked in that regard. She supposed she would have to find her own way of how to do seduction. And if she screwed it up, well, she had already modified his memory once, what were a few more in the grand scheme of things.

She enjoyed his frightful jump, but was more than wary how his hand had disappeared behind his back. He was armed. But that was to be expected, no wizard or witch left their home without their wand. He relaxed quickly enough with a muttered apology and she waved it away by informing him that people often were being impressed around her. As she settled into a somewhat relaxed lean against the swingset, she listened to his introduction, before giving her own and telling him she was new to the area.

His next words almost made her laugh. He had taken her first insult to him and thrown it back at her, and even looked shocked that he did it. She wasn't going to take that lying down however and told pretty much told him, "I look good, you don't, but being near me makes you look better". Yes, she thought, I'm going to have to figure out how to flirt. God how pathetic that sounds.

But the banter was easy going and enjoyable, and she didn't think twice when ordering him to follow her to the bench so she could soak even more of him in, in a more comfortable space. However she felt her libido spike when she left his bubble and when it didn't fade she knew he had stayed put. Still, it was an early morning, maybe he wasn't fully awake yet. So she proceeded to the bench and as she turned to seat herself, saw him bringing up the rear.

She found him to be a shy conversationalist. Indeed she felt she could have talked on her own the entire time and he would still be there, listening to everything she had to say. He only responded to a direct question, or to one of her lesser veiled insults. Their talks carried on for an hour or so, all on light subject matter, things to do in town, local attractions, and the most basic details of each other, all things one would expect from a new local. Unfortunately Harry Potter's knowledge on most of these things were lacking. The Dursleys never took him out with them when they left when he was a child, except for rare circumstances, and he spent most of his older years at Hogwarts.

Emma's offer to treat him to lunch was unexpected. He quickly agreed to her request, however, and they began to walk to a diner a few blocks away. He was really enjoying her company. She clearly thought she was a sort of diva or something, but she had a lot of wit and her barbs at him lacked any real sting. Even with the blatant superiority complex, she was... Once again he came up short when trying to describe her. Everything about her was just natural. None of it seemed put on or forced. None of it seemed excessive. It was just... Emma.

He wouldn't lie and say her looks weren't helping. She was pretty enough as it was, but her demeanor, while somewhat rude, was charming. The way she moved her head, the way she walked, every gesture she did seemed to be done with a precision that he hadn't seen before. It was similar to how Dumbledore moved really. But were as Dumbledore was a kind, elderly educator, this woman was an enigma, an unknown and he was drawn to her. Harry knew that it was more or less his seclusion from others that made her so appealing to him. His desire to simply be near someone else. Was it not only a couple of hours ago that he had been wishing for this exact scenario to happen? His luck finally seemed to turning up.

They reached the diner in a short amount of time, the conversation still only brushing on light topics. However, once they had been seated and placed their order, there was a slight change over her demeanor. As if she knew she could press him more now that he had committed to having a meal.

"So Harry, how long have you and your family been in Little Whinging?" The question was innocent enough, but Harry never enjoyed questions about his family, he didn't even like to call the Dursleys relatives.

"I've been with my aunt and uncle since I was a year old. They've always lived here." His answer was precise, hoping they could move to a more pleasant topic, but she, apparently had other ideas.

"Oh, and what happened to your parents?"

Emily felt a dark laugh begin to build in her gut. She didn't let the humor show, however, and continued to wait for his answer. She was curious as to what exactly he would respond with. After all few people had any clue as to the details of what happened to his parents and the only two people alive who witnessed it were talking about it now. She wondered how he would react if she told him how his father had only lasted moments in their duel. How his pathetic mother had begged and pleaded for his life. If she were to drop the charade here and now and goad him with his parents demise. After all, surely the protections Dumbledore had placed on him didn't extend this far. She could take him captive now, keep him on Amortentia and do as she pleased with him. She was curious as to how an Amoretentia victim would react to the Cruciatus curse. If she were to subject him to it, would he be willing to forgive it. How many times could she use it on him before the boundless infatuation turned to horror. She was so caught up in her own perverse thoughts, she almost missed his answer.

"They died in a car crash, I don't even remember them."

Her humored dried up. That answer didn't even amuse her. There wasn't even any emotion in his words. The lie was so practiced, so well rehearsed, she almost wondered if he believed it, before remembering that she had confronted him about it in the past.

"I'm sorry for your loss. But at least you went to family. I, too, was an orphan, only I had to spend my youth in an awful orphanage. A ward of the state no one wanted."

Some emotion had bled into her response and she grimaced. She had tried to sound sorry for him, but the bitterness showed in her voice at the end.

"I understand that, actually. I'm... different from my relatives. We don't see eye to eye and they would probably prefer I didn't exist."

She sneered mentally at his words. Of course the filthy muggles he was forced to live with despised him. The very magic in his veins rose him far above the trash that was his family. They should have served him on bended knee ever since his arrival, as was fitting, but she doubted they would be so cultured. Oh she could imagine how his future would be. Once he submitted to her, he would want for nothing. She would rid the world of his relatives and he would be with her for the rest of their days, which as far as she was concerned, would be forever. She would provide him with every comfort, every desire, keep him safe from anyone, except for a few of her own darker tendencies.

"Excuse me for a moment, I'll return shortly." She promptly stood and made her way to the loo.

Harry Potter was for the most part enjoying himself. Some of her questions were a little to probing for his liking, and several times he thought he caught the flash of some, twisted emotion flit across her face, but it was so fleeting he chalked it up to his own discomfort. Trying to give himself reasons to leave her company. Which was something he didn't want to do. Emma was a pretty and engaging young woman. She paid attention to everything he said. She asked him to explain some of his shorter answers, almost as if she simply just wanted to hear him speak more. For once, someone on this side of his life valued what he had to say.

Their orders arrived a couple minutes after she had left, and he didn't wish to appear rude to the young woman by starting on his meal, so he waited for her to return. The last thing he wanted her to think was that he didn't care about making a good impression.

Once Emily made her way into the restaurants facilities, she placed her hands on the counter. It was nearing the end of their second hour, and she needed another dose of polyjuice. The second dose she had taken had been during their talk at the park, while she had him staring at his feet with crimson cheeks.

She had more than one reason for this quick escape however. She needed to reign in all of her emotions. They were all over the place. She had spent decades knowing only one true pleasure, and that was the pain and subjugation of others. She reveled in that powerful emotion and grew to love it so much, that her target did not matter. All humans screamed when in pain after all. Pureblood, halfblood, mudblood, or muggle, it made no difference to her. As long as she could see them hurt and see them bow to her. And now she had another pleasure, and it wasn't as simple as sex. The pleasure WAS the boy. Just being near him made her want to smile. His mere presence gave her peace of mind. And the thought of any mistreatment of him drew her wrath and rage forward so quickly. The thought of those useless relatives of his abusing him laced her body with rage faster than when Wormtail had told her of what happened to her diary. And she was still furious with the entire Malfoy family over that one. Lucius and his family would pay for the man's mistakes.

And now she was enraptured at the idea of putting both of her pleasures together. To hurt him, make him scream, and then kiss every pain away, only to repeat the process for days on end. It excited her. Sent undulating pleasure from her core to the very tips of her hands and feet. She knew she was growing to care for the boy. She saw far too much of herself in him not to. She knew that soon the idea of hurting him in that way would make her feel uncomfortable. That she wouldn't be able to enjoy it. That was why she resolved to do it soon. Just once. Surely she could indulge in her darkest desire just once, and then put it to rest. She would wash away the guilt if it ever arose by treating him as her most precious treasure. She would adorn him with the finest things and then place him on high for the rest of the world to see what gifts she gave to those who pleased her.

But there was a snag in the plan. She was unable to use most wand related magic near him. He was under the Trace. She would have to sneak into the ministry records department and steal his page from the underage magic usage records. All witches and wizards had one created by magic, the first time their magic accidentally happened. The massive tome recorded every magical spell that happened near the child outside of the magical community. For the law wasn't there to protect children from harming themselves, it was there to prevent the muggles from learning of magic. They could enjoy their blissful ignorance for now, she would bring them under her heels in due time.

She would enact her plans immediately. She would entice him to come to her home tomorrow night. Steal into the Ministy of Magic tonight, destroy his page, then when tomorrow arrived, he would be hers. She would steal a time turner from the Ministry as well. Her home had 3 bedrooms in it. She could use the temporal device to rewind as much as a full 24 hours, and go to another room before her past self took the previous ones. She may even use it more than twice, silencing charms on the living room and kitchen, she could even use magic to add more space for time travel. As long as she made sure to send him on his way before the muggles noticed he had not returned home the next morning.

Her plan was set. She would purge herself of the worst of her carnal cravings. He would bleed for her, as he begged for her kindness, and she would show her kindness before making him bleed again. It would be beautiful.

She left the loo, perhaps having been gone longer than was necessary, but her thinking had gotten out of hand. By the time she returned to their table, their food had arrived. He had been a gentleman, and had not started without her. The meal was finished quickly as she was starving, and he was nervous. She kept the topics on lighter subjects, flirting with him openly, letting her interest in him be obvious.

He soaked up her affections like a sponge and returned them, as though he was starved for human interaction. In the few hours they had been together he had formed a true friendship with her. She wasn't bothered about destroying that bond though, Emma never existed in the first place. He would never see her after this summer regardless. Though she would wipe his memory of Emma and all the horrors she planned on putting him through, she knew such things would leave scars. She would never be able to appear to him as the young brown haired muggle ever again without him having a terrible mental breakdown. And the muggle whose appearance Emily had stolen would never meet him either. She had been dead for days, her body already incinerated by magical fire.

She left the table briefly to pay for their meal, once out of sight, drinking another dose of polyuice. This final dose would give her one more hour, enough for her to bid him a good day after extending her invitation for the next day. Once she got rid of his Trace, she would use transfiguration to resume her persona.

The conversation during their walk home was far more flirtatious than the rest of their talks. She felt that she may even be laying it on too thick, but then again, was that even possible. Her desire for him was far greater than she could put into words. Therefore, no matter how excessive her words seemed to be, they were still pale in comparison to what she felt.

Right outside of the ward on his home she stopped. He halted as well when he noticed.

"I really enjoyed our time together Harry."

He adjusted his glasses shyly, and while not meeting her eyes, said "I did too. It was fun. I'd like to do it again some time." After he said that, his face colored. His shyness was adorable.

"If you mean that, I would love to see a film with you tomorrow evening. If I write you my address, do you think you can come over tomorrow?"

"Er, um, yeah, I can figure it out. I actually have a pet owl whose pretty good with directions in case I get lost." He then seemed to realize just how that would sound to a muggle and promptly looked away.

She didn't feel that embarassing him now would help her chances of getting him to herself tomorrow so she let the odd statement slide. "Sounds like an intelligent pet, one day you'll have to let me meet it."

Emily was all smiles now, certain everything was moving according to plan. She stepped up to him, brushing her lips across his cheek, and said, "I can't wait to see you tomorrow, Harry. Come by at 6. And don't be tardy, a gentleman should never leave a lady waiting."

"Sure thing Emma. I'll see you then."

And with that, the two parted ways.

A/N: Its getting dark... and by that I mean where the fuck did the sun go kinda dark. Emily is gonna be a nasty peice of work real soon, and while she will go through some changes (not really character growth, but there will be story generated changes) your about to see the worst part of her. 100% Dark Lord next chapter. I'm gonna stick to site rules of course, no graphic depictions of sex OR VIOLENCE. Once again, I plan on sticking to conveying the emotional aspect of it. I would like to remind you all that this IS a romance. I know you all are looking at this I thinking I'm a fucking retard. Hey Daniel, this is Freddy VS Jason, not the Notebook. But this is literally the very beginning.

I've done some thinking and have decided that if I'm gonna do this, then I'm gonna do it right. This will now be a series. The end of fourth year and fifth year will be one book, sixth year will be one, seventh, etc. There maybe another book if the story proceeds further, but that will be the maximum. So 3, maybe 4 books. Whats more, I've a fun sense of humor, so there will be some twisted parodies of the original series in here. A lot of main events will return in this fic, but they will come straight outta wonderland... meaning wonky as balls. The one thing I can guarantee is Sirius Black will be alive. I love that guy too much to axe him. I cried when he died. I cried when I thought the dementors got him in the third book. Super long A/N (as far as I'm concerned anyway) TTFN.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:Wham ninja update, get at me bra. I know I just updated like 5 hours ago, but this thing came outta fuckin nowhere, and shit on my windshield. Like, if the last chapter was cannon Harry Potter, a Harry Potter who had been overwhelmed by a young woman coming on to him, before realizing that what he agreed to was wrong, then he would do this:

Chapter 4

Harry slept fitfully that night, but his sleep was devoid of dreams. It was as though his body was incapable of resting still. He tossed, turned and even woke up twice, before drifting off back to sleep. When he woke, he was filled with unease. He was jittery and uncomfortable. He burned his hand while frying bacon, and the eggs were over cooked. He once again left the house early that day, hoping the fresh air would do him good. As he left, he told his aunt he would be with his uncle, the supposed escaped convict Sirius Black until late that night. He claimed he didn't know what time he would be back or if he would even return that night. She just sniffed at him and told him to go about his business and leave her out of it. If he wasn't home by the time Dudley was, then he'd be locked out til the next morning. He wasn't worried about that, Dudley rarely came home before midnight, and if he didn't know how the night was going to progress before then, he would head back.

He thought he was just plagued by nerves. After all, Emma had made her interests quite clear. And he had actually gone and accepted her invitation. To her home... at night. Harry had to assume that the film they would be watching would be at her home, as she had been walking with him for hours yesterday and figured she didn't drive. He ran his hand through his messy black hair, knowing he was overthinking things. He was still only 14 for heaven's sake. He took a deep breath.

It was simple, really. He had been depressed and latched onto the first person who showed him any interest. And the interest she showed him was intense. She made him feel like being Harry Potter was being someone worthwhile. Made him feel special. Sometimes the way she looked at him, he felt that she saw a trophy she simply had to have. While some may think of that as demeaning, Harry saw it as someone deeming him important enough to pull out all the stops. To do all that she could to win his affection. And she did all of that while having no idea what the scar on his head really meant.

When he went to see her tonight he would clear the air. Apologize just in case she got the wrong impression. Make things right, maybe even take her out on a proper date, this time he would pay. She said she had just turned 17 last week and that meant she was only a bit more than 2 years older than him. He could make this work.

Surely she couldn't really expect them to... well, do that already. He thought back on the previous day. Played all the actions back to the best of his memory. The casual touches, the innuendos, even at the end where when she had given him a light peck on the cheek, then proceeded to drag her lips down to the corner of his mouth.

Harry would never dream of calling someone a scarlet woman. But maybe she thought that was all he was interested in. Maybe somehow he had made her feel that his interest in her began with her body and would only stay if he had more of it. He was unsure how he could've left that impression, but he had always considered himself terrible with girls, though he had always felt more equipped than Ron.

Ron had a one way street between his mouth and his brain, Harry at least had some detours.

Wow, he wished he could contact Sirius right now. What he wouldn't give for some Godfatherly advice. But the eleventh hour had arrived and he was out of options save his uncle Vernon, and he would rather die than go there.

Still, with his resolve set and a plan firmly in place he felt better. He would give a honest go at a relationship with her, and if she said she wasn't interested, he would wish her the best and leave. He just couldn't envision himself sleeping with her without some kind of commitment. It just felt... wrong.

He spent the rest of the day until evening whittling down the hours and enjoying the sunlight.

Emily's plans the night before had been, for the most part, successful. She had destroyed Harry Potter's page in the department of records, even replacing it with a dud, in case someone decided to snoop. She had even managed to slip inside the department of mysteries to steal a time turner. Unfortunately there had been a snag, but it was easily dealt with. There were,however, now two new job openings for that department. Emily had always despised the idea of time travel. To her it was a true forbidden magic. One that she had always been loathe to touch. But for her plans today, she had no intentions of altering the future. She simple wanted to fit more hours into her day. But once she ruled the world, she would destroy every last time turner, except this one, for her own personal use. Because while it was a power she despised, it WAS power. And power was control.

Checking the time and seeing it was half past 5, she began to get ready. She restructured the entire house as much as she could within Gamps Laws of magic. The home now held 11 extra bedrooms in total to her own(12), and she planned to make use of the kitchen, living room and basement. She would then use the turner once more in the attic to allow him to recoup his senses after the memory charms. Because she planned on taking every single precaution she could when healing as much damage as she could. Her selfish desire wouldn't harm him too much she told herself. He would never know and she would keep him in blissful ignorance.

She knew how hard she could push him before he would break. She had broken so many others over the decades. She knew when the point came before someone's mind was about to shatter. She could pick up on the signs. She would hold him to the cusp of insanity, ravish him beautifully before cruelly beginning the cycle again. She had just over two weeks for this. Fourteen rooms. Fourteen days. She had everything she needed, and several replacements, just in case.

It was 6 minutes before he was due, when the doorbell rang. She smiled, he was early, and that meant eager. And so was she.

She opened the door to see him shuffling about nervously, and greeted him warmly.

"Glad you decided to come."

"I'm happy to be here, but I uh... I'd like to chat for a moment?"

The question was posed awkwardly, but she was curious. She had practically told him yesterday, that when he got here today, she was going to blow his mind, as well as a few other things. What more could a teen boy have to say? What more could he expect?

"Certainly. Come to the living room. Its off to the side here." Once again she walked off, assuming he would follow. And he did.

"I really like you Emma. And I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime?"

She couldn't but stare at him. Her he was, asking her out. Had she not made it clear enough to him that her apparent plans for the night were wild, incredible sex. Dear lord, the boy WAS daft. He just had to be. There was no other explanation. The incredulity must've shown on her face, because without waiting longer for a response he started talking again.

"What I mean is, I'm not sure what you have planned for tonight, but I was hoping we could keep it..." he trailed off, taking a deep breath. "I don't want you to think I'm pushing you, because I'm not. I would actually prefer if we went on a couple more dates before we go any further."

The smile she always had on in his presence, the one she gained from being in his 'bubble' slid off of her face. She was being rejected. He was being nice about it, but she knew what this was. She had seen it before, in the minds of countless others. He didn't want her. He... He wanted to abandon her. He dared to do the one thing, the most foul, the most despicable sin she could ever imagine someone doing. As far as she was concerned, she was his God. And here he was, spitting this blasphemy right in front of her. Her face stayed blank for only a moment before she could feel the anger push forward. She could feel her face twist into a gruesome mask of anger, and judging from his reaction, so could he. He took a step closer, and lowered his voice.

"Shite, I'm awful at this. Emma I REALLY like. Will you be my girlfriend?"

The offer was so unexpected, so awkwardly delivered she let out a derisive snort. She was about to unleash all of her rage into him when she felt it. He was pushing his emotions at her as hard as he could. He wanted her to understand him so much, wanted to convey his emotions so strongly, that they had forced themselves, subconsciously, through the link she had with him. She closed her eyes and opened the connection wide, and the feelings crashed into her. The strongest of them was desperation. She could feel his struggle almost in a physical sense. What came next was desire, and it was pure. He wanted her, just her. He didn't want sex, he didn't want her body, he just wanted what she made him feel. Then came... herself. Everything she made him feel was being pushed through their mental link. And it was beautiful. It was intimate. It moved straight through her body, already heavily aroused with her plans and his presence, and unraveled at her core.

Her hand shot out to his shoulder and clenched hard. Her knees had buckled with the force of her orgasm, and he was the only thing keeping her upright. Her breathes came out in pants, her shuddering wracked her entire body. She could never give a proper explanation for what happened next. Maybe it was the fact that she'd had the first taste of true sexual satisfaction in her entire sixty plus years of life. Maybe it was her bodies young, teenaged hormones that craved drama. Nothing was a strong enough explanation. Not for what she would forever see as the stupidest decision in her entire life. But the blatant and honest emotions he had just shoved inside of her overwhelmed her mind and the words just tumbled out.

With one hand clutching his shoulder, and the other holding her face she choked out the most idiotic statement she ever could have at that moment.

"I... I am Lord Voldemort."

A/N: So yeah. That's how it goes. I told you all I had no idea how this shit would run its course. And this one ran hard. Anywho this one is a midget chapter, bout a third of the length as the others, but like I said, it hit me outta nowhere.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So I took, like a 36 hour break, then belted this S.O.B. out. Once again, this stuff is changing while I'm doin' it.

Chapter 5

Albus Dumbledore was worried. His past two days had been most trying. The newly reorganized Order of the Phoenix was having its first meeting in in the morning since its reformation a month before. And, in truth, Albus was starting to feel as though all of his worry had been for naught. For not a single thing of any dark nature had even been whispered about in the magical world, at least not where he had been searching. No word of a past Death Eater's radical movements. No recent, mysterious disappearances. It was just a normal month. Another normal July of another normal year. Until yesterday morning.

Albus Dumbledore had a great many instruments in his office. Two of which he felt were his most important. One that monitored the wards on Harry Potter's residence and the blood wards protect him and his family, and another ward on the boy himself. The device for the wards for the boy's residence and the blood wards had been quiet thus far, but it was the second instrument that worried him. The instrument was always puffing and huffing small amounts of white smoke into the air, however it was the amount in which Dumbledore was now concerned of. For the ward on Harry was for detecting dark magic in the boys presence. It had gone off the previous day in the early morning. Dumbledore had, of course immediately dispatched Ms. Figg to investigate, but the boy had not been home. This had sent the old headmaster into a frenzy of activity. For if the boy was missing, and in the presence of dark magic, something horrible was possible to have happened.

Just as he had finished contacting half of the order, he had receive a floo call from Ms. Figg. It was a quick conversation. Harry had come home. No one was with him. He had entered the house just moments before she had rushed to contact him. Indeed Dumbledore gazed about his room, noticing the surprising lack of white smoke. His heart rate had calmed down considerably. Still he had much to look into. He proceeded to Little Whinging and set to work. He walked all the way around the ward, searching for where someone may have been curious enough to look into it. He found no evidence of such things. He then went to retrieve a foe glass that he had intrinsically tied to Harry Potter and walked throughout the entire neighborhood looking for the more distinct images. He once again found none, except for a smaller, but rotund figure he assumed to be Harry's cousin. He knew the two of them fought often enough, Ms. Figg had told him so.

Night had settled by then, and Albus had no choice but to retire for the evening and think up a new avenue of investigation. He reasoned that he could always ask Harry what he had been doing, but Albus always tried to keep the boy at arms length. To not smother him as he wanted. For Harry needed to live as normal a life as possible. To be young, to not second guess every action he took. For Dumbledore knew that deep down, Harry was not guaranteed a long life. The boy faced many a great danger, most of which, he despised to admit, occurred under his very nose.

He decided to go home and rest. Search a little more in the morning. If he found nothing, he would approach Harry directly. Perhaps invite the boy out for a pleasant dinner and ask how his summer was faring. Inform him that the Weasley family had asked as to when he could come visit, and tell him that he had been cleared to go in two more weeks. Enough time for the blood protections on him to have once again recharged. Keep the conversation casual enough to not rouse the boys suspicions.

With a firm plan in mind, and much of his worry forgotten, he drifted to sleep easily. And when the next morning came, he woke up, and went to the Ministry. Alas, even Albus Dumbledore can't get through every hurdle with ease, and had to wait patiently for what he had come for. For he was here to have a look in the records department. To look and see if any magic had been performed around Harry. The search came up negative however, and Dumbledore returned to Little Whinging.

It was past midday now, and he had a sudden thought. With a quick spell to disillusion himself, he conjured up a platform below his feet and levitated it up to the top of the ward on Harry's home. He had thought what if the magic had come from an airborne source. This time Dumbledore's search struck gold. It was the faintest of touches, the caster probably didn't even use a wand. But the traces of foreign magic were most assuredly there. Dumbledore quickly returned to the ground and began walking to Harry's home at a brisk pace.

It was just after 5 now, and Dumbledore felt as though Harry should know that something... dark, had been near his home. He would then ask Harry not to leave his relative's house for the next 2 weeks, until he could go to the Weasley's. He knew Harry would dislike that immensely, but it was for the boy's safety.

Upon his arrival to the Dursley household however, he was informed of some awful news. Harry had been gone since morning, and had told his relatives that he was with his Godfather, Sirius Black. Dumbledore knew this to be false and his mind started racing. It was possible, he assumed, that Sirius was with the boy. Sirius was rash and wanted to be near Harry at all times, it could be the supposed convict had defied his orders and went to spend time with his godson. There was only one way to check. He dissappeared from the Dursley's doorstep with a sharp crack.

He reappeared in the foyer of Number 12 Grimmauld place. The Black ancestral home, currently lent as headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix. He quickly sent his partronus to contact the man and was relieved when the bird flew towards Sirius' bedroom. The man thundered down the stares quickly enough upon hearing Dumbledore's message and once again, Albus felt his heart drop.

"He's not here Albus. Why on earth would you think he would be? Do you know anywhere else he may be?"

The questions were to the point and fired off quick, Dumbledore's response was somehow faster still.

"His relatives said he had left with you, and I am unsure of where he is. I will return to the neighborhood and search for him with the 'Point Me' spell. I will return as soon as I have found him."

Sure enough, Dumbledore wasted no time and dissaparated as soon as the last word left his lips. The 'Point Me' spell's range was limited so if it worked Dumbledore would not be too worried. The boy was simply off on his own. Sure enough, when he cast the spell, his wand swivelled and pointed down the street. He recalled there being a park down there, Ms. Figg said he often idled the day down there. He had no intentions, however, of leaving a worred godfather alone without news, so he walked at a brisk pace to find Harry and get him home. However, once Dumbledore arrived, he found no sign of him. After scanning the area again, he once again used the 'Point Me' spell. It was only a handful of minutes until 6. Sure enough the wand relocated and the boy now east of his location. Whats more, his wand was ever so slightly moving right, meaning the boy was in motion. Dumbledore sped towards the direction of his wand, mindless of the few muggle gazing at the strange elder, playing with a stick.

However, no sooner had Dumbledore gone a hundred feet, when his wand started to spin wildly. And then fell softly into his hand, inert. Eye's widening, knowing that his spell no longer could detect Harry, Dumbledore once again disapparated to the Hogwarts gates and ran, full sprint, to his office.

With the most gut wrenching twist his heart felt that day, Dumbledore once again gazed at the silvery instrument in the room. For the white smoke was spewing forth from the device rapidly and Dumbledore knew in his heart, Harry had been taken.

It was a terrible thought, and he began contacting members of the Order immediately. The meeting was brief as they had no information to go on, and he returned to his office to think. But he had barely returned when the second instrument gave one short shrill whistle. One of the wards surrounding Harry, or the blood wards, had been triggered.

"Huh?"

A more eloquent response could have been given. But Harry's mind was blank. How often does one's crush inform you that they are your mortal enemy, after all? His eyes closed, and he gave his head a quick shake, opened his eyes and did what any other person would in that situation.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that?"

Of course, Harry knew what he had heard. She may have struggled saying it, but it was clearly spoken. It was as though he knew what each individual word meant, but the whole sentence was gibberish. Like, dog fly move can't. She remained silent however, still quivering, still breathing heavily, and still holding onto him.

"You're ...her?" The question could've meant many things, but her response would be clear, and he would understand. Maybe. Still she remained silent. So he waited. Finally she took a deep breath, but no words came forth, instead her head rose up. She lock her eyes with his, and nodded.

Harry had no intention of allowing himself to remain in a stupor. The woman who had killed his parents, and made his life miserable was before him. And though he had many questions, he would ask them with his wand out, would ask them with an upper hand. He never got that far.

For no sooner had the though crossed his mind, she had flung him away from her. And Harry was shocked at the distance he traveled. With a sharp crack, his body slammed into the plaster wall, then went right on through, into the hallway. It wouldn't do the feeling in his body justice to say the air left his lungs. It felt as though his body couldn't even breath, the pressure on his lungs felt overwhelming. Finally, his organs snapped back into function and he took a gasping breath. He slowly picked himself onto his hands and knees, only to see bare feet on the ground in front of him.

He knew he was in no condition to best her. She had thrown him through a fucking wall for heaven's sake. She didn't even need a wand.

"Well, get it over with Emma, Voldemort, whoever you are." He raised his head to her defiantly, "Not like I can do anything to stop you."

Emily looked down at him. He had that look again. The challenge in his eyes that always took her breath away. The look that made it so easy to forget he was still really just a boy. And he was telling her to end it all, as though she wanted nothing more than his lifeless body at her feet.

"Tell me Harry. If I had simply said yes to you. Had agreed to become your little girlfriend. What would've been next?"

She watched him carefully. As far as she was concerned, this was a moment of truth. For all intents and purposes, her time as Emma was only under a false name only. She had acted as herself as much as she could. If he gave her a positive answer here, then she would know. She would know that those feelings he had for her could be real. That what she had just felt, the intense feelings running through her body and mind even now could still be salvaged. She would have to fight for it, tooth and nail, but she knew with little doubt, that she would have him. He would be her greatest challenge. But only if he were to be honest with her, here and now.

She watched the defiance drain from his face. Then she saw his head fall, and his body shake, and she knew she her question had hurt something deep inside of him. With the tears still falling and his head facing the ground, he answered.

"I probably would've fallen in love with you."

The answer to her question, matched up to the feelings she had felt perfectly. A burgeoning love. That intensity. Though she had savagely tore into many minds before his, she had rarely felt feelings so strong. And then she knew. The half of the prophecy she had heard made sense. For years she had thought marking him as her 'equal' had been nothing more than that stupid scar on his face, that held a most precious piece of her soul. But no, on some level, he truly was her equal. For while she was able to hate with an unbridled fury, he was able to love with unbridled passion. For only he would be able to match her there. Only he could tame her wrath, her rage with his heart. He would complete her. But he couldn't do that now.

For right now, he saw Voldemort. And no matter what she did in this moment, his view would not waver. The strong feelings he may have been starting to feel for Emma, were not strong enough to fight the hate he felt for her. But they didn't need to be. Not yet.

"Tell me Harry, what do you know of memory charms?"

Harry almost started at the question. He really didn't know much at all about them, other than the charm and wand movement.

"Little, why?" His answer was quick. The tears might have been few, and may have dried quick, but the pain in his heart was still real, and he didn't want her to hear it in his voice.

"The memory is a remarkable thing, Harry. So much so, that it is truly impossible to erase a memory. Memories are connected to one another. A memory charm takes those connections, those chains, and destroys them, allowing the memory to sink deep into the mind. Untouchable. The links then reform away from the memory and it is 'supposedly lost'. But there are ways to bring them back. Ways to break through memory charms. Torture is one. Pushing the brain with pain can force memories back to the surface. But there are a few spells that allow another person to reconnect the chains, if they too experienced the memory."

He listened to the explanation intently, not understanding where she was going, but honestly found the subject interesting, despite his dire circumstance.

"I have decided what I want from you, Harry. I want you to love me." This made his eyes widen, and when he opened his mouth to retort, she overrode him. "And you will. I will make it so." She reached down and caressed his face. Gently she ran her thumb over his lips, pressing forth and pushing down, making his face take on a pout.

"Because Harry, I'll make you fall for me. Again and again and again. Over and over, I won't stop. And each time you do, I'm going to take the chains of memories apart and let them fade so you can start again. I'm going to build so much love inside your heart that it will outshine the hate you have for me now. And when it does, I'll reconnect all of those chains. I'll bring all that love rushing back. Every kiss, every touch will hit you all at once, and you will know. You will see. The one thing I want, the one thing I desire more than anything else. Is your heart."

He was shocked. He had thought this to be some crazy ruse to get him killed. And here she was, telling him that she wanted him to love her. He wasted no time in telling her how he felt.

"You're insane. Why would you want me to love you? After what you've done to me. I'd rather you kill me now."

Emily paused at that. She would have to answer carefully. Carefully, but with honesty. It would not due to lie to him here. Not in the memories she would take from him. Each memory had to be perfect, filled with his love. Her answer here would be offensive, but hopefully it would bury his suspicions.

"When I killed your parents, Harry, I made an error. A small sliver of my soul now rests within your scar. It calls to me. Makes me want you, to touch you, to have you want and touch me. The feeling is overwhelming. Even now, all I want is to lay in a bed with you, and have you screaming my name out in the greatest pleasure."

"But its more than sex, Harry. Just being near you sets me at ease. Just talking to you, hearing your voice, fills me with joy. Its like a magicked up version of love and maybe it is. Maybe I do love you, and maybe somewhere deep down I oppose it, but I WANT it. I want these feelings. I... I want you."

Harry was shocked. He didn't know how to respond. She had just overloaded his brain with information. He had a piece of her soul inside him. What the hell did that really even mean? And she truly desired him. There was no ruse. If so, why go through all this when he was at her mercy.

"Stop. Just stop." He had moved from his awkward hands and knees position and was seated in the debris of the hallway, his hand now covering his ears. "I don't want your love. I don't want to love you. JUST TAKE BACK YOUR SOUL AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" He was roaring with all of his might at the end, eyes clenched shut, wishing she would just vanish.

Emily looked at the young man seated at her feet and for the first time in a long time, felt pity. It was so unfair of her, to force this on him. But she was selfish. She would do what she wanted. She wouldn't give him a choice. Wouldn't even offer him death. He would be hers. His path was now set, there were no turns or detours in his future. Just her arms, her lips, her heart, her body. That was all he could have, and by the time he got there, it would be all he would want.

She knelt beside him, grabbing his hands and pulling them away from his ears. He tried to resist, but her body was too strong. Her face leaned towards him and her lips made contact with his, and despite his previous protests, he returned her kiss in full. She removed her hands from his, running them up his body before framing his face. She slowly probed his mouth with her tongue and when his tongue reached for hers, she pulled it into her mouth. Gently prodding it with her own and sucking on it, she allowed herself to lean her weight on him, now practically sitting in his lap. Moving her legs to either side of his hips, she rested her core over his lap and gently began pushing her body into his.

Harry's emotions were all over the place when she knelt in front of him. When her hands touched his and began moving them, he opened his eyes and tried to force his hands still. But her strength won out. And when he saw her face, he was no longer looking at Voldemort, but Emma. And when her lips landed on his own, he kissed her feverishly. And now they were grinding into each other and he felt so alive. So in tune with his body. And he could hear every whimper she made. And he hoped she could hear the same from him, because he was close and he knew she was close. And then the both were reaching that peak, and he felt her entire body shudder against his, with his own hips jerking almost painfully into her own. Then it was over, and when he opened his eyes, Voldemort was back in her stead, but she had the most beautiful smile and he knew he would lose.

Because if he could look at her now and think she was beautiful, then eventually she would make him fall for her. Her plan would work without a doubt. He would abandon everything for her one day, and he hated himself for it. He hated knowing he would betray his friends, the Weasleys, even the entire wizarding world, who would have expected him to fight until the bitter end. And the self loathing overwhemed him. He gazed at her again, pleading.

"Please. Don't do this to me. I can't. I don't want to become the person you're going to make me into. If you have to, then let me die. If you really think you love me, then give me that. Don't force me."

For the second time in her life, she was feeling the emotional bliss of perfect sexual satisfaction. Her entire body hummed with it, so much, she almost didn't hear his quiet pleading. But the words came through, and her heart twisted at it. She didn't even think about granting his request, it was never something she would consider. But maybe she could offer him some happiness in the bleak state he was in.

"I won't do that Harry. But I will give you something." She leant her head down beside his ear, making her offer to him in a whisper.

"Make your choice now. Look into your heart, decide to love me of your own free will. I'm not asking you to suddenly love me, but commit to loving me one day. If you do that now, I will try and be a better person for you. I will still one day stand above all others in this world, but I will listen to you. I will let you sway my judgment, my anger. Choose me now, and I will submit a part of myself to you. You will be the only man who will ever have that. The only person who can still my hand."

Harry could barely believe his ears. Voldemort had won. She would have him completely, no matter what, one day. Even still she had offered him such a token of affection. She, who never saw any other human being as her equal, would be allowing him to come close. Would listen to his words, respect his opinion, even allow him to halt her punishments. All it would take would be to decide her and now, to commit to loving her.

She saw him reach for his wand, but made no move to stop him. What could he possibly do to her now. She saw the defeat in his eyes. He knew he was trapped and would give into her. He was a smart boy, but whats more, she knew that he wanted what she had to offer him. A boy, disliked by his family for all of his childhood, only finding acceptance and caring at the age of eleven. Starved for almost all forms of love his entire life, she was opening up her soul to him. Offered him love, as skewed as the love may have been. While it may not have been the way he wanted his greatest desire to appear to him, it was still his greatest desire. To belong and to be loved.

This was were she had failed when he was in his first year at Hogwarts. She enticed him with the offer of bringing his parents back to life. But that did not guarantee him love or acceptance. The Dursleys were family, but they didn't give him those things. But she was giving him everything here and now. He would accept.

And when he pointed his wanted at a rather large piece of plaster and transfigured it into an iron ring, she knew he agreed to do it.

"Fine. This is my promise to you. Here and now, I acknowledge that I will love you. And I choose to do so, not because I think you deserve it, but because I do. Because I deserve the right to decide who I will love. And I won't allow you to take anything else from me."

Okay. Not quite what she had had in mind, but it didn't matter. She would take it. He had accepted now. That meant he would accept it later, when his memories came back. Accept that, from the beginning of her plan, he knew that she was the woman he would love. She couldn't help the feeling of joy as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a sign of his commitment. It may have been a crude, temporary transfiguration, but she would make it permanent later. It would be her most treasure possession. She had debated making one final Horcrux. Because 7 was a powerful number, and though Harry technically counted, magic was all about intent, and he was not an intended Horcrux. She decided that this ring would be the final vessel to hold a piece of her soul, only fitting as her love had given it to her.

Though he had given her so much today, she was an inherently selfish creature and tried to push for more. "Well, we're practically married now, shall we celebrate the wedding night?" Still seated on his lap, she felt him harden beneath her. Clearly she had a good shot at succeeding. But fortune, it seemed, did not favor the bold, and his reply told her as much.

"You must be joking." His gaze shot down her hopes. Because though his body was ready and willing, his mind was most definitely not.

"I felt it wouldn't hurt to try." She told him smoothly. And it didn't, because despite the refusal, she could see a small smile on his face. She pulled out her wand.

"The next time we truly see each other, it will be after you've fallen in love with me. If I restore your memories and your hate for me still outweighs your love, I'll disconnect your memories again and start over. Goodbye, Harry Potter."

However, just as she was about to cast her spell, he held up a hand and said, "Wait."

"Yes?"

"Should I call you Emmiline?"

She raised her eyebrows at that, "How do you know my birth name?"

"The Diary." As is the two words explained everything, that was all he said. Though she wanted more information, she was emotionally and physically tired. Though she had forgone her plans to torture him for days on end, she reckoned she still had a time turner. She could stun him, rest and then question him later. But that would taint the memory, and the memory was important. She turned her wand to her own body and canceled the transfigurations to make her seem like Emma. If he wanted her name, she may as well give him her face too.

"When I had friends, they called me Emily."

"Emily then... Until next time, Emily."

The obliviation was flawless. She gathered his collapsed body into her arms, stroking his face, whispering sweet nothings in his ear for a few moments, before standing. She would take him home. She doubted the wards would stop her now. He had committed himself to her, at least in a way, and intent is what matters in magic. She glanced down at the ring on her finger. Every time she looked at it she smiled.

She disapparated to the edge of the ward, seeing to see if it would stop her. It didn't. She then disapparated to his front door. The strong magic on the house was such that she could not apparate inside. She opened the door easily enough, and managed to make it to the boys room unbothered. However, it was on her way down that she met one of his family members.

Aunt Petunia heard the door open, at eight o'clock that night, and assumed her useless nephew was home. After hearing him climb the stairs and enter his room, she assumed him to be in bed. But she then heard his door open again, and footsteps start to descend down the steps. She went to meet him at the base of the staircase, to tell him where dinner was and to clean the dishes, when she came face to face with a young woman with raven colored hair.

"Who are you? Are you one of them? We don't appreciate your kind just traipsing through here as though you own the place."

Aunt Petunia clearly was not looking at the woman's face, or she'd have seen the eyes flash crimson.

All of a sudden Emily had her wand out and she attempted to cast the cruciatus curse, when all of a sudden the bones in her hand shattered. The reinforced, magical bones... shattered. With a blood curling screech, she held the bloody mess aloft and quickly used magic to heal what she could. She immediately summoned the bone fragments from her hand,watching as the boneless, bloody mess flop downward. It was at this sight that the woman in front of her collapsed into a dead fate. She then used a bone mending charm to reform the skeletal structure of her hand. She then took a deep breath before using a laceration curse to peel open the perforated skin on her hand, laying the newly reforged bone back into place, once again using the mending charm to connect the hand to her wrist. Then, using the most basic of healing charms, patched the skin back up. The process took about half a minute, if that.

Unfortunately, that was enough time for someone to react to her scream. A large disgusting muggle came thundering downstairs, seeing his wife incapacitated on the ground in front of what was obviously a witch. She had one of those... thingies in her hand. What was most horrifying was the blood all over the walls, ceiling and most notably on the floor.

"What have you done to my wife, you freak?" He almost charged her before he saw her stick that thing in front of his face.

Emily was pissed off now. Her hand may have been healed, but it still throbbed horribly. She knew that whatever magic protected Harry in this house, clearly extended to his worthless muggle relatives. But they didn't know that. And she debated forcing the one in front of her out the door with his unconscious wife and getting rid of some of her dear lover's suffering now. But as long as they lived, her Harry had more protection, and as she could not keep him by her side now, they would have to live.

"Listen here muggle. I am going to kill you. I am going to kill your wife. And I will torture your son to insanity before your very eyes before I do so. One day, all of this will happen. Mark my words." And with that she obliviated both him and his wife, using magic to place them in their beds, before clearing her blood from the room. She then strode back up the staircase to spend another moment with Harry. To help calm herself. It would be so trying to have to go home with all this anger in her chest.

She nestled up to his body on the bed, and unintentionally fell asleep.

She woke up a couple of hours later, still in the dead of night, and sighed. The rest had been useless, leaving her feeling more tired than when she went to sleep, and she should not have stayed. With one final kiss to her recovering lover's lips, she left the home. She didn't bother with apparition, wanting to walk and think. A mistake on her part, as she was only 60 feet outside of the wards when a voice called out to her with a familiarity she despised.

"What are you doing here, Emily?"

The voice of Albus Dumbledore grated on her nerves, as it always had. With a snarl on her face, wand in hand, she whirled towards him, killing curse leaving her lips.

Albus Dumbledore, though shocked seeing Lord Voldemort alive, well, and so young, was not so easily bested, and simply stepped aside the killing curse, hearing the crunch as it impacted a muggle automobile behind him. The first thing he had done when he laid eyes on here was ward the street. No muggle would leave their home tonight and be caught in their crossfire.

"Why, old man, would you want to know?" Her screaming question was vicious, but Albus had faced her rage more than once, and was well equipped to handle it. Their spellfire was practically blinding, but Albus remembered it being brighter in the past. It was possible she was as young as she looked, he mused, and had not yet reach her full magical maturity. If so, then he knew he had the upper hand. He would hold nothing back.

Emily cursed her situation. She was so tired after her day, and then this happened. She had to escape, she wasn't able to continue this fight to a favorable outcome. She waved her wand, tearing up the asphalt in front of her to obscure his vision and then cast fiendfyre onto the houses on the left side of the street, she quickly backpedaled her keeping her eyes on him as he tried to put out the black flames. Certain his attention was occupied she once again allowed her body to transform into black mist and floated away on the wind.

Dumbledore was furious. He should've expected that ploy. She would have done that to her own pureblood followers, much less muggles if she wished to escape a losing battle. But there were more important things than the return of a supposedly dead Dark Lord, at least in his eyes, and he ran to the wards. Happy to see them completely intact, he still rushed to Harry's home. Still happy to see it standing he went straight inside and up to the boys room unimpeded.

When he saw Harry's face on the pillow he sank to his knees in relief. The boy was fine. He performed all the necessary diagnostic spells and then sent a Patronus message to Sirius Black with the good news.

He retreated downstairs, transfiguring Uncle Vernon's recliner into a bed and sank into it. Whatever happened to Harry, it was clear it had been trying, and he needed rest. He would talk to Harry directly in the morning.

A/N: Well, the twisted parodies have begun. The order is up and running and now we got Dumbles seeing Voldy and telling Harry, as opposed to Harry seeing and telling Dumbles. I hope yall are following this well enough. Trying to really hit the emotional high notes as best as I can. Sorry if the end gets somewhat rushed, its late, and Im tired and I still gotta proofread it. I'll flesh it out later if its too weak. Btw, props to the freaks of nature who can just belt out massive chapter on the daily. I'm struggling at the rate I'm going now.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm aware its been a couple weeks. Sorry. I work online retail (think amazon) and we've had this memorial day sale going on. And while that isn't enough to keep me away from a keyboard, when they tell me I can work as many hours as I want, I become one of those sun up, sun down kinda guys. I'm happy with my current hourly pay and I'm 50% more happy when Im paid overtime. Things will slack off in another week, and I'll start hemorrhaging out words again.

Chapter 6

"Damn him."

Emily was livid. Though she had escaped from the dangerous situation, she was no fool. Dumbledore would not let the boy out of his sight, or the sight of someone he trusted for the rest of the summer. Her body solidified at her recently acquired muggle home, and she stepped through the door. She quickly began packing the few, but various things of importance she had placed here. He would surely take measures to keep Harry away from her. Keep him holed up, alone and friendless.

Didn't that decrepit bastard realize that Harry hated such isolation. She had only spent a few scant hours with him and knew him better than her old teacher. Dumbledore may desire the boy to be safe, but he was sacrificing his happiness. She ignored the voice in the back of her head telling her she didn't particularly care for Harry's happiness either, outside of his eventual relationship with her, that is. Was it not two hours ago that she forced him into choosing her. Played on his weaknesses, and his misery to get what she wanted from him.

It was so easy for her to place her anger on Dumbledore instead of herself however. Blame Harry's misery on the old man, not on the fact that she was planning on placing him in a far more isolated cage than Dumbledore ever would or could. She may be planning to lock him away in a golden cage, with every amenity he could ever want, but it made no difference in the end. He would resent her for it. She would deal with that bridge when she came to it.

She finished placing all of the things she had planned to take before realizing that she had magicked the house. It would take too long to disenchant the house. She didn't know whether or not Dumbledore was on her trail even now. She would simply level the home. Hopefully the muggles wouldn't be too baffled at discovering the corpses of the men who had helped her move into the home two days before. She had herded them into the basement, still under the Imperius, and told them to kill each other. It had been a marvelous sight to behold. They used anything they could to inflict mortal wounds on each other. When the lone figure alive stood surrounded by the bodies of his previous co workers, she walked up to him and backhanded him with all of her might. His head twisted in a gruesome manner, face splitting, blood flying, and a delicious crunching sound as the bones in his neck were pulverized.

She left the house and with one final dark curse, the fiendfyre once again leapt from her wand, onto the home. The dark flames would destroy any enchantment, would even devour one of her horcruxes, so it was perfect for destroying magical traces. It would also, hopefully, destroy the evidence in the basement.

She would have to bide her time, see what public moves Dumbledore made about her reappearance. If he kept it to himself, she would be happy. But he would probably reveal what he knew to the masses, and that could end badly for her. If the public believed him, and it was Albus Dumbledore after all, then her image would be spread everywhere. She would have to go through great pains to change her physical appearance. Polyjuice was a stopgap measure. An hourly repreive that was easily enough to manage, if one could brew it. There were more ways to alter one's appearance though, dark ways. They were semi permanent too, so she would have to tread carefully. She may have shed the name Voldemort, but she was still a Dark Lord, and prided her appearance on being that of THE Dark Lord. She had no intention of permanently changing her looks. And after all, the last image Harry had of her, was in her true body, she didn't wish to confuse that memory.

She would go to the home of one of her old followers. Should they attempt to refuse her or betray her, she would destroy them and take their home temporarily. Yes, that was a fair plan. And what followers needed to reaffirm their faith unto her more than Lucius Malfoy. Yes, he who had failed her, and allowed a most precious piece of her soul to be destroyed. He would learn the price of such failure very soon. With that final thought, her body twisted and vanished, the loud crack going unnoticed as the black flames finished devouring the home behind her before dying out.

Albus Dumbledore woke as the sun was rising. He lifted himself from his makeshift resting place, then reversed his transfiguration, before heading into the kitchen. He began magically preparing a breakfast to feed Harry and the Dursleys as thanks for them allowing him to make use of their home. They had been unaware of course, but Dumbledore was a gracious guest if anything, and would repay the unknown kindness all the same.

Dudley Dursley was the first to wake up that morning, the others in the home having been affected by some sort of magic when they slept, and therefore would awaken later. Smelling the cooking going on in the floor below him, he assumed his parents were awake, and his cousin was fixing breakfast. He lumbered himself out of bed, and rushed down the stairs, eager to to have his morning meal. He stopped dead in his tracks however, when the sight of a very old man, with a very long white beard, waving a wand about and things were moving on their own. Dudley's experience with magic was restricted to the random occurrence his cousin caused, Hagrid's transfiguration, and a few Weasley pranks, so it was fascinating to see magic being used in such a mundane manner.

This man was making a massive meal on his own, and wasn't even struggling to do so. He would arbitrarily wave his wand every few seconds, and the bacon would flip, or the eggs would move about in the frying pan. Dudley kept watch, not realizing the man had noticed his presence.

"Good morning, young Mr. Dursley. Did you sleep well?"

The kind greeting caught Dudley unawares, and he responded automatically.

"It was fine I guess."

"Excellent, feel free to take a seat, breakfast will be ready momentarily."

While Dumbledore's cooking could not compare to Molly Weasley's or perhaps the standard House Elf, he felt he had done an adequate job. It had been a very long time since he had prepared a meal even for himself, but he strongly doubted Petunia's ability to contain her horror if she witnessed a house elf in her kitchen. He turned to the table Dudley sat at, waving his wand and magically conjuring up plates and silverware. He did not miss the massive flinch the large boy gave at the sight of the wanted pointed towards him and resolved to ask about that later.

Even though Dumbledore had not planned on dining alone with the young muggle this morning, no one else had yet awoken, and he felt as though maybe, Dudley could tell him about Harry's time here as a child. He turned his gaze to the boy and began asking his questions.

Dudley was woefully uncomfortable about this strange old man, but something about him radiated authority. Such that Dudley didn't think to ask who he was, or why he was here. Instead he found himself talking with the old man about his freak of a cousin. While Dudley normally wouldn't be so honest in his bullying of another person, those strange blue eyes the elder had, made him feel as though any lies he said would be seen straight through.

Disappointment, one could say, was a feeling that most educators felt a great amount of. Having high hopes for many students, and some of them failing to meet them would naturally produce the feeling. Dumbledore honestly could say he had felt more disappointment here and now, than he had felt at Hogwarts in a very long time.

He heard, through Dudley Dursley's own lips, the mistreatment Harry endured during his time here as a child. Was horrified to hear that Harry had spent the first ten years of his time here in a cupboard. And that was merely the beginning. Dudley spent the next 20 minutes of their meal telling the headmaster of every injustice Harry had to go through. At some gentle prodding, Dudley admitted he was terrified of his cousin, knowing that no amount of physical strength could protect one from magic. That once he had found out his cousin could do things he could only dream of, he left Harry mostly alone, and had his friends do the same.

Dumbledore was saddened to here that Dudley didn't feel any remorse for his actions as a child, but reasoned that his upbringing had conditioned him that way. He would have to have a most serious talk with the boy's parents.

"Dudley, my name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster of Harry's school. I am here to talk to him of a very important matter regarding his safety. There is a terrible dark witch after your cousin. She would like nothing more than for him to be dead. I need you to help me keep him inside your home for the next two weeks. Then he can go visit his friends in another location for the rest of the summer. Whats more, is that you too need to be careful. Though she has no idea as to what you or your family look like, it would be best not to speak of your cousin away from your home. Understood?"

Dudley normally would've balked at the request, but the man's overwhelming presence prevented that. He could only nod his head, and say, "Of course, sir."

With that Albus Dumbledore went to the sitting room to wait on the rest of the family to wake up. As he left the dining room however, he heard Dudley let out a very large sigh. Albus couldn't help but chuckle. Many muggles found his magical aura to be somewhat oppressive. Dudley seemed to be among their number.

Vernon Dursley woke up with a great yawn and a fuzzy head. His wife next to him was doing the same. He glanced at the clock, seeing it was half past 10 in the morning and thanked his lucky stars it was the weekend. He wasn't too sure what happened last night, but felt he should've forgone the glass of brandy before he went to bed. After making sure his wife was roused, he got dressed and proceeded downstairs. Dudley clearly was Vernon's child however, as he too was shell shocked to find the aged wizard in his home. He didn't remain in a stupor though.

"What in the blazes are you doing in my home?" It wasn't a yell. More of a strangled hiss. As though he were so angry he couldn't use the full volume of his own voice.

"Ah, Vernon Dursley, do take a seat." And just like his son, Vernon found himself put under Albus's authoritative presence. Dumbledore informed him that, under no circumstances, were his treatment of Harry to continue. That if he could not find it in himself to be pleasant, then he should leave the boy alone. His wife Petunia entered as the conversation was wrapping up, and the old man repeated the same things to her.

After receiving their nods of assent, they didn't speak through the entire conversation, Dumbledore proceeded up the stairs, deciding Harry had rested enough after his ordeal.

When Dumbledore entered the room, he noticed Harry already starting to stir. That was good, as he truly did not wish to interrupt the boys slumber.

Harry awoke with a groan, his head was killing him. It was as though someone has stuck his entire skill inside of a snare drum during a marching bands performance. He opened his eyes only to catch a pair of electric blue ones metting his gaze in a plush armchair from across the room.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir. What are you doing here?"

"Good morning, Harry. I am hear to inform you of some terrible news."

"What's wrong?"

"Harry, I am afraid it seems as though Lord Voldemort has returned. I saw her outside the wards of your home. I feel that the wards are the only reason you are alive right now."

"Wait, what? How did she come back?"

"I'm not too sure, but for now I would like to ask you what precisely were you doing yesterday?"

Harry thought back to yesterday and found he could remember little more than lying out in the grass at the local park. He told Dumbledore as much and Dumbledore only hummed to himself as a response.

"Harry I tried to contact you yesterday at the park. When I arrived, you had already left. I attempted to track you down, but you suddenly vanished. Are you certain you don't recall anything other than what you have told me so far? Any other detail?"

"No sir. I actually can't remember much from last night at all. Now that I think about it, I cant really recall what happened for some parts of the day before either.?"

The answers worried him. Clearly Harry had been taken away and had his memory modified, afterwards. But why would Voldemort not kill the boy. It was a giant hole in the headmaster's grand theory that he could not answer. He began to ponder. The main reason one does not do something, is because they either don't wish to, or they fear the repercussions. His gaze rose slowly to Harry's scar.

She must have realized, he decided. Voldemort knew Harry was a horcrux and had decided to wipe Harry's memory of their encounter and leave him be for now. Voldemort would now want to know more, he knew. Voldemort always wanted more information about things. She would seek out the prophecy, to know the truth of all that had been predicted 15 years ago.

That would explain her evasiveness when he spoke to her the night before. She hadn't wanted to admit being there for the boy, though to be true, there was little else she could be searching for in a muggle neighborhood in Surrey. Wanted to be as vague as possible, to give him as little information to deduce her motives. And he thought, she had done well. Albus only had a vague idea of what she was thinking. But so far it was the only idea to make sense. But if she truly knew the boy's position, she would seek him out. Keep him locked up and out of danger. She would cage him up for eternity to keep her horcrux safe. He would never allow that to transpire.

To say that Harry was curious as to what the headmaster was thinking would be an understatement. He had a great many questions, starting with what exactly had happened to him over the past two days. He waited patiently for Dumbledore to finish mentally going through all that had happened though.

"Well Harry, I will have to require you remain home bound for the next two weeks. Afterwards we can have you moved to the Weasleys, and you can spend the rest of the summer there."

But as the headmaster stood to leave, Harry interrupted him. "Professor, surely you can tell me more than that. What happened to me? Did... Did Voldemortfind me? What did she do to me?"

One of the most trusted people in his life had answers, Harry knew. He would not let the man leave without at least telling him something.

"Harry, I now believe that Lord Voldemort does not wish for your death."

The news hit Harry like a ton of bricks. Surely Dumbledore had misspoke, for there was no way that Voldemort did not wish Harry to die. "Please sir, explain. That doesn't really tell me a whole lot. Why doesn't she want to kill me anymore?"

"I'm not ready to divulge that information to you Harry. Its a heavy burden, and you are still so young. I do believe you came face to face with her however, and she altered your memory. We should look at this development as some slightly good news, but Harry, please remain ever vigilante. For I now believe that Voldemort would stop at nothing to have you permanently in her control. If she no longer desires your death, then she will want to keep you captive so you can no longer interfere with her plans."

Harry was taken aback by that. If it was as Dumbledore said, and he was still a threat to Voldemort, why would she no longer desire to kill him. It must have to do with the bit of information Dumbledore withheld from him. He debated pressing Dumbledore for more information, before recalling an old saying from a muggle movie. "You can't handle the truth." Maybe the burden Dumbledore spoke of was too heavy for him. After all, was it not good enough to know that, at the moment, she did not want him dead.

With a sigh he looked back to Dumbledore. "Alright sir. I'll stay indoors and wait out the two weeks."

Dumbledore was surprised at the acquiescence. He had thought the boy would press further. Perhaps ask him more about the memory charm. And Harry probably would have had his head not been in such pain.

"Harry, what do you know of memory charms?"

The response he received was unexpected.

"Well sir, its a charm that destroys the links of your memories. Disconnects them, and allow the pieces to fade into the corners of your mind. They can be restored though, through immense mental strain, like torture, or by a spell performed by someone who shares the same memory."

Dumbledore knew Harry was not the most studious individual. And fourth year students should have not covered memory charms. Whats more, with the detail about torture Harry brought up into his definition, Albus had a fair idea where Harry's knowledge came from.

"How is it you know that Harry?"

"I... I don't really recall sir. But I do. I know that thats how it works. I'm positive."

"Oh I wasn't saying you were wrong my boy. Just that you shouldn't know that information. I believe Voldemort explained the charm to you in detail before performing on you. Meaning she probably plans to reverse it at another time. Even more curious. What could she be planning?"

Harry once again allowed Professor Dumbledore to ponder the new information, doubting that it would lead to any new ideas from the wizard. Indeed Dumbledore merely gave a sigh before standing up.

"I have a great many things to get started on Harry. Please remain as safe as you can within your home. I had a very... enlightening conversation with your cousin this morning. I have spoken to him and his parents about some of the things you have had to go through during your stay here. I'm... Harry, I'm sorry. I did not realize that by sending you here as a child, you would suffer the way you have. While I knew your time here was difficult, I had no idea it was so outrageous. You have grown into such a splendid young man, in spite of the treatment you faced as a child. I am most proud of you."

Harry felt his cheeks redden at the compliment. It was possibly the largest praise he had ever received from anyone in his entire life, and it made him feel wonderful.

"Thank you sir. I don't blame you for sending me here. How could you know how my relatives would treat their family?"

"And that Harry, is precisely why I am so proud of you. Your so willing to see past the faults of others. Your heart is so strong, stronger than most, and you don't even know it."

Harry's blush remained on his face, even after the headmaster bid him goodbye and left. Did he truly deserve the pride in which Albus Dumbledore placed in him? He wanted to believe it, but something inside of him told him no. He wasn't sure what it was, but something told him that he had already failed his headmaster. Had already let the man down horribly and failed his expectations.

He stood up from bed, noting that his headache had faded considerably, and went downstairs for breakfast.

Lucius Malfoy was a proud man. A wizard of the purest magical blood, with money and status, he had every right to be as far as he was concerned. But no matter how much pride one has, it does little to combat fear. And Lucius Malfoy was indeed fearful. Of what he was unsure, but only a moment ago, he felt the wards on his estate bend. Then they had imploded. He shuddered to think what kind of monstrous magic had done that and immediately gone to find his wife and son. They both met him on the staircase. He had immediately grabbed his son in a hug, looked at his wife and said, "Grab the portkey in the sitting room and get yourself and Draco to the villa in France, I need to grab some affects from my office. I will join you shortly.

With a kiss to his wife's cheek, he rushed to his study to clear it out. He had probably only gotten halfway through his items before he felt the presence at his back. He gulped, blinked slowly, and grasped his wand. He would not go down without a fight. His family would know he did his utmost best to return to them.

Whirling about to face his attacker, he roared out the killing curse. He didn't even manage to finish the incantation before he felt the immense pain of the Cruciatus curse all over his body. Whoever this was, they were most certainly a dark wizard. The curse lasted quite some time before it lifted. Muscles still spasming, but not ready to give up, he mustered up all of his strength, sprung up and fired off a blasting hex. He now got a good look at his attacker. Good heavens, it was a child practically. She parried his spell and returned with her own volley of dark curses. He threw up the strongest shield he could, then summoned a nearby book case in front of him, whatever made it through his shield impacted the many priceless tomes on the shelf. But he was still standing.

Whoever this child was, she was the real deal; he had to escape. Twisting his body and attempting to apparate away he was horrified to find she had placed an anti-apparition jinx up and he was unable to escape. Gritting his teeth, he made his decision. He would best this attacker with all he had. The Dark Lord had imparted him with a great knowledge of Dark Arts, he would make use of every bit of magic he had been shown to best this attacker.

He blasted his way though the bookcase in front of him, sending the debris at the woman before him. He then began throwing every illegal curse he could think of at her. He had the most success with an embodiment jinx on the room, causing the walls to rend themselves from the framework of the room, and attempt to wrap around her. It failed however, as she waved her wand in an arc around her body and a massive amount of pulsing purple chains exploded from her wand tip, wrapping themselves around the walls, restraining them in their place. He was then disarmed.

The woman in front of him was smiling widely. "Well done Lucius. I see that the knowledge I imparted on you years ago has remained."

"My, My Lord. Is it really you?"

"Yes Lucius. I have returned. No thanks to your efforts might I add." His master's tone had turned frosty.

"Please, my Lord. If I heard of any information of your whereabouts I would have rushed to your aid."

"I doubt that. You were just fine with your position in life, you wouldn't have risked it for my sake."

"You do-"

"Save your excuses Lucius. I don't care to hear them. I have only one question for you? Will you still remain faithful now that I have returned?"

"Yes my Lord."

Emily smiled. With the use of legilemency, she knew he had been honest. He was faithful, he would serve. But he would not endanger himself and his family. She understood the apprehension, and would accept it for now. The Malfoy name was too powerful in the wizarding world for her to simply throw it away.

"Good. Have a house elf prepare a room for my use. I will be staying here for a month or so."

"Of course my Lord. Right away."

Once her follower had dismissed the elf, she waved her wand and put the room back together as well as she could, considering the vast amount of dark magic that had been flying about earlier. She then took Lucius' seat at his desk, waving her wand and conjuring up a chair for his own use.

"Take a seat Lucius, we have much to discuss. The least of which is the destruction of the important item I entrusted to you many years ago."

The man in front of her looked terribly nervous at that. She knew, could feel the fear radiating from his body course through the room. To his credit, he made no move to interrupt her by begging for forgiveness or making excuses. Good, he was learning.

"Fear not Lucius. I have a most important task for you. One that should you succeed, shall wipe away all of your failures. Such a chance I can assure will never happen again. Should you fail me, I will show you my utmost displeasure. Do you understand?"

"Certainly my Lord. I shall do whatever you require of me."

"Tell me, are you still on the Board of Governors at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, my lord. However, due to the incedent that happened two years ago, the one involving that item you gave me, my influence has waned greatly."

Damn, she thought. She had hoped to be placed into the Defense professor position through him. She knew Dumbledore would be unable to find a person to fill the role, and if anyone did, she would arrange an accident.

"Tell me Lucius, if the headmaster fails to find a professor to teach at the school, what happens?"

"Then the Ministry will be required to send a suitable replacement, my Lord. It is a rare occurrence, but it has happened in the past. It usually only lasts for the one year."

"And what of your influence in the Ministry? Please tell me you have managed to hold on to some usefulness whilst I have been gone."

"Ah, actually I am probably the most important adviser to Minister Fudge at the current time. At the least, he comes to me monthly for my opinion on some bill or another. He seems to be quite interested in appeasing the pureblood community as much as possible, aware of how much control we hold in the government"

Emily smile at this. Yes it was all coming together nicely. She would use some old magicks to change her appearance, add a couple of years, not too many of course, 23 years of age should do. Lucius would then create an impressive dossier of her background and experience and introduce her directly to the Minster. She would find herself in his office quickly enough, and when the time to elect a member of the Hogwarts staff came about, they would find her qualifications to do such a task to be a perfect match. It would only be too easy.

She explained the plan to Lucius. He proved to be as Slytherin as she knew him to be, and added some ideas of his own to make things run smoother. Yes, she decided, if Lucius managed to secure her a position near her lover, she would grant him forgiveness for his failures and welcome him back into the fold with open arms. She would make sure all others new of his success and her followers would know who she valued.

Lucius left after they had finished their discussion, having decided to start on their plan at once. He assured her that by this time two days from now, she would have a position in the Minister's office. She then retired to the room that she had had Lucius prepare for her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly blinked her eyes and sat down on the luxurious bed before here. Resisting the urge to squeal out in happiness like the child her body's form had taken, she smiled and thought to herself that nothing would keep her away from Harry Potter. Nothing that old fool Dumbledore thought of would prevent her from her desire.

But the next morning she cursed the old man's name. For Lucius had made sure a house elf left her an edition of the daily prophet with her morning meal. And on the very front page was the title: Albus Dumbledore Claims the Return of the Dark Lord? Fortunately, it seemed as though the minister was completely against the information being true and had orchestrated a slander campaign against the headmaster.

While she would've preferred her return remain unknown to all, she felt this was the next best thing. Dumbledore would be undermined by the government and the vast majority of the public would remain in disbelief. The only problem would be that when the ministry did need to elect an official to go to Hogwarts, they would want a more senior employee. A trusted employee. This meant she would probably have to imperius the Minister, something she was unsure if she could get away with. While she knew she was capable, Cornelius Fudge was regularly tested for such influences. She would have to attempt to get through on her own merit first. Resort to other measures later. Still, she would manage it one way or another. Nothing would stand in her way.

A/N: Damn I'm tired. Ive had this for like a week, just couldn't find the time or energy to update it. I have a great affection for Fiendfyre, so don't be surprised to find it a lot. If an idiotic 7th year with subpar magical ability can use it (Crabbe) then I'm sure Voldemort can bend it to her will. And if not, she can in my AU. Remember that wizards are more physically blessed than muggles and Emily herself has a magically constructed body, so her physical strength is beyond the norm. I'll have her perform physically impressive feats, but they won't be a constant happening. You wont see her smashing through walls, screaming 'Oh YEAH!' or something. Though we have seen her throw someone through one. Laterz.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Ugh I feel like I'm floundering with this... Like I'm carrying a football, but am about to fumble. Still, I'm quite gung-ho about it.

Chapter 7

Harry looked to his one of his oldest friends, sleeping haphazardly on his mattress. Ron Weasley was spread eagle on it, as though he were attempting to take up as much space as possible. It was a comical sight, but Harry wasn't really paying attention to his friend. He was deep in thought. In an hour, he knew Mrs Weasley would be coming through the house, waking them all up, preparing for the journey to King's Cross, and then it would be off to another year of school.

But Harry had other things on his mind now. His dreams as of late had been tantalizingly him horribly. It was always the same thing. He would find himself lying in bed, with a young woman at the entrance of the room. She would then approach him, and touch him everywhere. After a minute she would climb on top of him, grinding against him, and right before he finish... he woke up. To say it was frustrating would put it mildly.

He had started to begin taking longer than normal morning showers, help slake some of the sexual build up he constantly felt these days. But it just wasn't enough. Though the dreams themselves never changed, the feelings he had during them, were only intensifying. He had never really noticed girls before, certainly not to any sexual extent. While he may have been a teenage male, he would censor his thoughts on those things. Whenever he had relieved himself in the past the girls remained mostly faceless. He guiltily admitted however that every now and then, Cho Chang's face would appear in a scenario now and then, and he would finish pleasuring himself to the thoughts of her. His crush was most assuredly taking root in his subconscious.

Cedric had been her boyfriend last year, but he had graduated now. If the two had decided to break things off, Harry wondered if he would have the courage to ask her out. Probably not, he thought to himself. Ask him to battle a Dark Lord and he would be willing, but asking a girl out was far more fearsome a task.

Sure enough, Mrs. Weasley was rousing them from slumber soon enough. He chucked a pillow at Ron when he simply rolled back over in an attempt to resume sleeping. With a laugh he got dressed and went downstairs for another famous Weasley breakfast. Molly Weasley had already returned to the kitchen and was setting plates at the table for everyone. It looked to be a wonderful breakfast.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley. It looks great."

"You're welcome, Harry dear. Now eat up, you're far too small. Ron has you beat by a good five inches I'd say."

Harry didn't bother to point out that Ron would probably always be taller than him. The rest of his brothers were fairly tall too, except Charlie. And even Charlie had two inches on him. Harry continued eating, only to hear footsteps on the staircase behind him and turned around.

Hermione and Ginny had both gotten out of bed on what seemed to be the wrong side. Both of them had messy hair, Hermione of course had Ginny beat, and barely kept their eyes open.

"Morning Harry" they said this in unison, and he smiled.

"Good morning you two."

While Harry had never really considered himself a perverse fellow, he couldn't help his gaze landing on Ginny's bum. His dreams constantly steered his mind to more risque places, and he would find himself constantly checking out his best mates younger sister. He didn't find it odd that he never looked at Hermione like that, but then again, he had really known her forever, and of course he wouldn't be interested in her like that. But Ginny was looking ever prettier the older she got, and Harry had of course, noticed.

Quickly averting his gaze, he finished his meal, declining Mrs. Weasley's offer for seconds and proceeded upstairs to gather all his things. He had packed his trunk for school the night before, so he didn't have much to do for that. Once he was certain he was completely ready, he gather his bathing things, and went to the bathroom to shower. He proceeded to take another long shower, thinking of a faceless beauty with long black hair. When he got out, he went back downstairs to sit at the table and talk with everyone before they left.

Fred and George were quite excited to return to school. They had told him of all the things they had come up with over the summer that needed more wide spread testing. Something they planned on taking care of at Hogwarts.

Before long it was time to depart, and they all boarded up into another automobile Mr. Weasley had aquired and proceeded to King's Cross. Harry didn't ask if the car had any 'special' features as he remembered how cross Mrs. Weasley had been over that.

The ride there was cramped, of course as even with extension charms there were still 8 people inside the car. Still, it passed quickly enough, and soon they were going through the barrier to platform 9 and ¾.

Harry boarded the train, giving a greeting to anyone he recognized before entering an almost empty compartment with Ron, Hermione and Ginny. There was a young blonde girl there as well, that Ginny sat next to and they began talking. Harry gathered from their conversation that her name was Luna, and her father was some type of reporter or zoologist, he wasn't sure as to which, maybe both. They didn't remain alone however as the compartment door slid open to reveal none other than Draco Malfoy and his two lackeys.

Immediately, Harry rose to his feet, but frowned, for Draco had not insulted anyone yet, seeming content with simply staring straight at Harry.

"Sorry Potter, didn't realize this compartment was full." And with that, he left.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron asked. Harry had no idea either. Draco Malfoy had just been civil, and he was quite befuddled by it.

"Reckon he might be sick then?" Harry asked Ron. Ron just shrugged not really caring one way or another about the blonde ferret.

"Well I for one am glad he has learned some restraint," said Hermione. "I hate hearing the same insults leaving his mouth so often. He never changes the rhetoric."

Ron gazed at her dazedly, likely having no clue what rhetoric meant. The rest of the train ride passed with little interruption. Neville dropped by to say hello, and the Patil twins did as well. Though Parvati had ignored Harry and Padma had ignored Ron. That wasn't surprising though. Harry decided to apologize to Parvati about that later. When they left the train on their arrival to Hogsmeade, they once again gathered into the horseless carriages and were taken up to the castle. Luna had been quite peculiar there however, standing at the front of the carriage for a moment, whispering at some invisible creature only she could see. Harry paid it no mind, he was starting to figure out than Luna was just plain odd. Nothing wrong with that of course, so he didn't bring it up.

Upon reaching the castle they all filed out of the carriages and entered the Great Hall. Ginny went to sit with her friends from her own year, and Luna glided over to the Ravenclaw table. Ron, Harry and Hermione went to sit together at their house's table and began looking at the staff table, curious as to who the new Defense professor would be. Other than the obvious disappearance of Hagrid there was only one new detail. The new addition was a young woman, probably only a few years older than them.

"Think she's the new professor?" Ron asked. "She's sorta young, but she's at the staff table, so I don't really know who else she would be."

"Probably is." Harry said, paying her little mind after the first glance.

"Just because she is young, Ron, doesn't mean she can't be knowledgeable on the subject. I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't hire an incompetent professor." Hermione's response had little bite to it, but Ron's random cough, that sounded suspiciously like ' _Lockhart'_ did not go unnoticed by her.

She wasn't allowed the chance to tell him off however as the first years began pouring in through the Great Hall entrance. Soon enough the sorting hat was brought out and began to sing. Its song was different this year, warning them of vague perils yet to come. Then Dumbledore stood, and after a brief bit of nonsensical words, the meal was delivered.

While Harry did enjoy Mrs. Weasley's cooking, there was just something about eating here at Hogwarts that made it better than any other meal. Perhaps because Harry truly felt this castle to be his home. Still he managed to down a good two plates and a bit of treacle tart before the headmaster stood back up to give out some announcements.

"I truly hope you all found the feast to be enjoyable, but I do have a few announcements before we may let you off to bed. Firstly, Professor Hagrid is away on a bit of an emergency, your substitute has not arrived yet, but will be a Professor Grubby-Plank. Please treat her as well as you would any other staff member. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch would like me to remind you all that the list of restricted items in the castle still includes all of the previous items it held, and has had a few more placed on it. Please check it, as ignorance will not be an excuse. As always, the Forbidden Forest is as its name suggests, forbidden. And lastly, please assist me in warmly welcoming our newest member of our staff, Professor Amelia Hurst. She will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts. She comes highly recommended from our Ministry and we are all eager to see the knowledge she can impart to your young minds."

At the announcement of the new professor, she merely raised her hand to them and gave them all a small wave.

Emily let out a deep sigh. The past month had certainly been hectic. Lucius Malfoy had proved his usefulness to her and had indeed secured her a position in the ministry. She wasn't sure as what precisely he had done, but she found herself directly under Dolores Umbridge, who was of course, directly under the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge.

It was a most advantageous position, but her arrival was met with great skepticism. How had this Amelia Hurst, her new alias, managed to worm her way to such a senior position in the ministry. Her forged past was enough to dispel a great number of rumors as it was full of her accomplishments. She had spent the past two years in a war torn Nigeria. A magical civil war was going out of control, and there had been several well renowned witches and wizards who had attempted to go down there and help end the strife.

Apparently Amelia had been instrumental in clearing out the fascist anti-government group that was pushing for great reform among the Nigerian pureblood community. She had even held a senior position in their government briefly during the restoration period of the country.

She had left soon however, not wishing to remain in a country so far away from her home in Romania. She returned there however to find that her fiancee had passed away from an incident at his place of work. He had, according to her documents, worked as an auror for the Romanian ministry and had been struck down in the line of duty. Heartbroken and without a direction in life, her family in Britain had reached out to her, her dear cousin, Lucius Malfoy. He had offered her a place to stay while she grieved and pieced her life back together.

Personally she had thought the entire story sounded like a load of tripe, but she began rifling through all the document Lucius had provided in the folder. Every thing was there. He had her OWL and NEWT scores. Her early life documentation was in order too. Even down to an Award for Services Rendered by the newly instituted Nigerian ministry. He had been meticulous enough to add a newspaper clipping of her fiancee's obituary, with her name in the print as well. Lucius had paid great attention to detail, and had assured her that if anyone had went asking, they would find Amelia Hurst not only to be a real individual, but an impressive one to boot.

So when Lucius had went to Cornelius Fudge to ask about the open position for one of his undersecretaries, a position that he had been about to fill with a young Percy Weasley, the Minister had listened to his request. The minister had honestly felt that the the Weasley boy was too young for the position, but then again, the boy had been most eager to prove himself. His family was also firmly entrenched in Dumbledore's good graces, so he may be able to glean some information on the man's plans. For Fudge truly did not believe the Dark Lord had returned. He felt that Dumbledore was simply stirring up trouble. Regardless, Lucius had made a personal request of Cornelius, and the Minister had relied on the senior Malfoy for far too long to simply shrug the man off.

So Amelia Hurst had been hired on. She was put on a two week probationary period, but that mattered little. By the end of the third day, every person in the office would have told you she was indispensable. Every single thing that popped up, she had taken care of before anyone else could start. Meeting with the Board of Governors been moved two hours earlier. She already had the memo in the Minister's office before anyone else knew of the change. An emergency meeting of the Wizangamot had been called and a member of his office was reuqired to start the proceedings, the meeting was halfway over by the time the Minister knew of it.

Her performance had been exemplary. The Minister had taken to personally assigning her tasks, confident in her ability to successfully take care of them. Indeed she had shared several conversations with the Cornelius, including one informing him, passively of course, that her real passion was teaching. He had smiled at that, telling her at one point, the headmaster of Hogwarts had been a close friend of his. Unfortunately their relationship had deteriorated, otherwise he would've put in a good word for her.

The following three weeks passed quickly, and soon the news she had been so eagerly awaiting had arrived. And as she had expected, the Minister had gone to Dolores Umbridge with the position at Hogwarts. Emily having already expected this outcome had already planned for it. She had been subtly jinxing her colleague for the last few days. Known as the suicide jinx, it would steadily lower the targets self worth, sending them into depression, and after a month of exposure, they would be capable of taking their own life. Of course this wasn't a given. A person with a strong sense of self awareness could shrug off the worst of the nasty spell fairly well, and no one thought more of themselves than Dolores.

Still, it had the desired effect, and the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister delicately turned down the position, stating that she felt she would be unfit for the position. Umbridge and Fudge had dissappeared into the man's office afterwards, and when he emerged he looked almost ill. She had no clue what had been said, but it would seem as though he had not been able to convince the woman to take the position.

So when Cornelius approached her with a 'wonderful' opportunity, she graciously accepted.

Emily stiffened as soon as Harry Potter entered the room. It had been weeks since she had been near him and her withdrawal sypmtoms were present once again. Clenching her thighs together to ignore the heat pooling at her core, she took a deep breath and began watching him out of the corner of her eye. He was looking over the staff table and his eyes stopped on her. For a moment she feared that he had somehow found her out, before realizing he was simply noticing a new face.

She held her composure easily enough, having experienced this before and knowing what to expect. She finished her meal speedily and politely retired to her quarters. Dumbledore had asked for an appointment with her the next morning before her classes, and she would need to be rested for it. Another dose of Dreamless Sleep potion would keep her in top form to dance with the old man the next day.

"Good morning Ms. Hurst."

Dumbledore greeted his guest warmly. Thus far, they had only shared the most basic of pleasantries, and he was going to remain as polite as possible. Ms. Amelia Hurst was an unknown as far as he was concerned, and this meeting would assure him as to where exactly her priorities would lie. He could deal with some Ministry interference as long as he could be certain his students were being taken care of.

The young lady before him displayed no outward emotion as she returned his greeting. Her demeanor was immaculate. He would not glean anything from simply studying her appearance it would seem.

"Well Ms. Hurst, may I start this meeting with my sincerest condolences as to the losses you have had to go through recently. I have made no overt glances into your personal life, but I am aware that you've gone through quite the emotional upheaval recently. The Malfoy's were quite generous to extend an invitation of respite to you. Their son attends here, I am sure you are aware of. While he may be extended family to you here, we professors try to retain a certain respectable distances between ourselves and our charges during classes. Outside of the classroom however, it is not unheard of for an educator to spend time with younger family members that are students here. The magical community is a tight knit group and the scenario arises more often than not."

Ms. Hurst remained passive through his opening, for all intents and purposes, the perfect picture of an attentive individual. When he finished, she smiled and replied.

"Thank you for your condolences Headmaster. And may I offer my own for the position you currently find yourself in."

Albus was taken aback. She had wasted no time in slinging a barb at him. It contained the faintest trace of disgust, barely noticable. The shock must've been apparent on his face, however as she was quick to

explain her previous statement.

"By that, I mean your trouble in finding a suitable person for position I am filling. I am sure its frustrating, and it seems as though it has been a continuous occurrence."

Albus settled his features quickly, clearly he had allowed his distrust of the Ministry cloud his judgment. He had immediately assumed her words were antagonistic. Even convinced himself of a negative undertone in her voice.

"Quite all right, I can assure you. I am simply happy that the position has been filled before the term began. Would have been a tragedy to attempt the year, missing a core subject such as defense."

She smiled at him. "Indeed. And in regards to my extended relation to the Malfoy family, while I am grateful to their support during the lowest point in my life, I honestly don't regard them or their... views on certain matters very highly. While I shall always owe Lucius and Narcissa for their kindness, I honestly found young Draco to be... less than respectful. Something I am hoping to remedy during my time here. He seems to lack an acquiescence to authority."

Dumbledore could only nod. After all, he was more than aware of how young Mr. Malfoy acted during his time at Hogwarts. Severus could only shield his student's actions from his gaze only so much. Actions that saddened Albus greatly. The boy was even more narrow minded as his father, and at this time, Dumbledore knew of no way to broaden his scope. However, it would seem as though Ms. Hurst, at the very least, would attempt to curb his more acerbic attributes. He would be pleased if she could procure any promising results.

"I am happy to hear that. Mr. Malfoy has been known to butt heads with a few other students, and despite his head of house's best intentions, it would seem as though Draco sees no need to fix his confrontational personality."

"I shall do what I can to improve all of my student's ways of life Headmaster. Be that through the standard course work, basic guidance or even personal counsel. I've held a great passion for teaching for a large portion of my life, sir, and am most excited to begin."

Professor Dumbledore was quite pleased with what he was hearing. She seemed eager to start her job as a molder of young minds, and he felt as though she had a similar mindset about it as he himself did. However, despite how much he wanted to simply believe the Ministry had unearthed a diamond from the rough for him, he knew to be cautious.

"Ms. Hurst, I am sure you are aware of the incident we had last year. Of an incarcerated Death Eater managing to place himself into a position in this institution. Therefore, I am now asking a magical oath to be made by all of my staff, before I consent to them being allowed to teach the students alone."

He gazed at her reaction to this tidbit over his half moon spectacles. There was a slight widening of the eyes. Good, she had been surprised. He continued.

"Two simple oaths. The first being: I solemnly swear that I do not harbor any intention of causing any deliberate harm to any student nor will attempt to relocate any student from the school to another location not allowed by that student's guardian. The second: I solemnly swear that I do not ally myself with the woman calling herself Lord Voldemort in any way. While I am aware of the Ministry's stance on my proclamations that the Dark Lord has returned, as we can see from the happenings of last year, her followers do still exist. And they are very much, still a threat."

Emily's mind was racing. Damn this old goat. She immediately began thinking if any of her plans for Harry, involved whisking him away from here. Not recalling any fully flushed plans to do so, she let herself mentally sigh in relief. This first oath she should manage fairly well. The second was a non issue. She had already, personally, discarded the moniker of Voldemort. She had deigned to rise again with another name in the future. Though her followers would still use it to refer to her for now, she had no intentions of using it again. And even if she did, she could hardly 'ally' herself to... herself. That was just stupid.

Pulling out her wand, with only the barest tremor to show her unease. Oaths were tricky things. They formed a bond between two or more people. As with all magic, it was all about intent. The thing about oaths were that in was the intent of two people, those intents meeting, connecting and then forming a pact.

She couldn't just intend the oath to do something different as it would meet with his intent, and then shatter as the two where wholly different. While there could be some wiggle room between his intentions and hers, they would have to mostly line up. That what the words were for. Every thing said would have to match up in the intent.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she repeated the oaths he asked of her and with a wave of her wand, sealed the pact. Letting the sigh escape her lips at feeling the binding contract settle successfully, she opened her eyes with a smile on her face, saying, "I trust that should put you and myself on the same page, Headmaster?"

The old man put a smile on his face, thanking her for her understanding in the matter and then dismissing her to finalize her lesson plan for the second year students that morning.

A/N: Hope you turkeys dont mind my ideas on magic. I really do believe that magic is all about intent in the HP universe... intent, control, and power.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N:It's been a month. I'm trash... utter shit. I know, I know. I'm a lazy bum. But it is here. For your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

Chapter 8

To say that Emily was disappointed to not see Harry Potter for the majority of the first day was an understatement. Though she was aware she wouldn't teach him until Tuesday, she had hoped to catch a glimpse of him during breakfast or lunch, maybe even see him in the library between classes.

Unfortunately her preparations for that morning took longer than expected. She would most likely not get to see him at all. As she made her way down to the great hall she held on to hopes that the situation would change.

Her lack of physical intimacy with Harry while manageable was still quite uncomfortable. In her eagerness to get to the Great Hall in time for the meal she didn't realize that she was about to run into another student.

Crash.

Emily remained standing, even though the other person had fallen to the ground. The face was not one she recognized. The young woman had short black locks. She was pretty in a young sort of way. However the scowl plastered on her face and her squished nose reminded her of a pug. Truth be told the scowl could be in place due to having been run over. She did, however take note of the Slytherin crest on the robes. At least the girl was part of her old house. After a moment's hesitation Emily offered the young woman a hand to raise herself off of the floor. The young woman's scowl did not lessen, as she took the offered hand and raised herself up.

"My apologies about that I wasn't quite paying full attention to where I was going."

The saccharin apology float easily from Emily's lips. No one who heard it would have thought it to be true. After all who apologizes and such a sickly sweet voice. The witch in front of her was clearly aware of that and her scowl deepened.

"A pleasure to meet you Ms..." Emily allowed her voice to trail off, clearly asking for the young girls name.

"Parkinson. And don't worry about it Professor Hurst, I would imagine that someone as busy as yourself would be prone to lapses in attention. Hopefully, you adjust."

The cool rebuke coupled with the respectful tone brought a smile to Emily's face. A perfect Slytherin response, demeaning, but knowing one's place. This girl showed promise. Still, while her tone may have been polite, the rebuke wasn't thinly veiled enough. As a professor she should attempt to curb such behavior.

"I daresay you'll see me in my element, soon enough Ms. Parkinson. In fact, I would be overjoyed if you would be willing to volunteer to assist me in classes together this year." Emily plastered on a grin. "We'll be covering some one on one dueling soon enough. I can promise you that you will learn a few things."

The young girl in front of her paled at that. Draco had just told Pansy not to get too antagonistic with the new professor, and yet somehow Pansy's mouth had landed her into a spot of trouble.

Emily abruptly ended the conversation there and continued on her way. She had a person she wished to see, and any more delays would not be tolerated.

Harry and his friends were only a minute from the Great Hall when Harry's luck seemed to take a turn for the worst. His bag had split down the middle and his school things had tumbled out. He should've taken the extra time to drop it off in the common room. Hermione and Ron attempted to help him sort his things and pick them all up, but he noticed something peculiar. The split in his bag was far to neat of a cut... it was a severing charm. Recalling the incident with Cedric a year ago involving the first task, he waved his friends onward. Hermione hesitated briefly before Ron managed to pull her along to dinner. Harry began to gather his things slowly, waiting for the person who had caused this to appear.

Sure enough a pair of feet entered his vision, before being blocked off by the persons robe as they stopped. With a small smirk at being right, he didn't bother looking at whichever classmate needed his attention before speaking.

"First day of the school year is a little early for such a clandestine meeting, isn't it?"

The feminine sharp intake of breath gave him pause before he made any other comment, as he finally looked up.

Emily had thought her plan was simple but effective. Split his bag, separate him from his friends and get a bit of alone time with him. She would get him to see her as a kind and helpful sort. Someone he could depend on. Someone he would turn to. 'Small steps will carry you miles' or so they say. But he had turned everything on its head as soon as she arrived.

"First day of the school year is a little early for such a clandestine meeting, isn't it?" How had he discerned her intentions? Why was his tone so mocking and familiar? These panicked thoughts whirled through her head in the brief moment it took for him to look up at her face. When their eyes connected, she saw the blood rush to his face. Embarrassment. Good. He didn't know. At the very least, his memories were still buried.

She had originally planned to manually assist him in picking up his things. Get close to him and feel a small window of relief from the discomfort that his absence caused. But his words had alarmed her, and she had been standing a bit too long. She had planned to walk into this effectively designed encounter with two feet on the ground, but he had unwittingly pulled the rug from under her. She was off balance, and no longer felt in complete control of the situation.

Emily waved her wand, magically repairing his bag, returning his things to said bag, and even managed to siphon the ink from the ground back into a bottle. She then brushed passed him, not bothering to say anything. Just before she got far enough to be out of a normal conversation's hearing range, he called out to her.

"Er, Professor? Professor Hurst?"

She stopped.

"Sorry about that, I thought you were one of my house mates."

Looking back on it later, Emily wasn't sure what made her respond how she did. Maybe it was the thought of him thinking of someone other than herself. Maybe it was anger at herself for running away from the situation just because she was uncomfortable. Whatever it was, her negativity pooled into her mouth and came right on out.

"Obviously, Harry. Adults don't have to have 'clandestine' meetings. We can shag whenever we want."

His eyes went wide at her response as Emily went on her way, cursing herself. That had been woefully inappropriate. Not only did she refer to him by his first name, far more familiar than she had any right to be as his professor who hadn't even taught him a single class, she just had to make the comment sexual. Thank God, no one else was in that hallway, or she could probably kiss her position good bye. Was she really so deprived right now that she couldn't filter base indecency?

What was even more detrimental however was that she had treated him as a child. Then proceeded to belittle him. Even in this fresh start, she had the most difficult adversary against her. Herself. Pinching the bridge of her nose she entered the Great Hall and took her seat at the staff table. He would be in her first class tomorrow morning. She would fix this faux pas then. Until then, she would enjoy her meal and look at him through the fringe of her hair.

Harry stood there mouth agape. Had his professor really just said that? Merlin's beard, she was a blunt one, wasn't she. Obviously, she had taken offense at what he had said. He cringed to himself again. Not his best moment to be sure. But wow, one comment and she floored him. She had called him Harry too.

Recognized his scar. Probably meant she was similar to Snape. Already formed some sort of opinion of him. Maybe even thinking him to be some sort of pathetic teenager seeking glory. Odds were likely so, if she was assigned by the Ministry.

Still, who exactly did she think she was. He was a teenager and in school. Of course if he wanted to be up to... those kinds of things, they would be done in secret. Harry huffed snidely, a rare occurrence. As though she were... intimate, with anyone here at the castle. The only one even remotely close to her age that was not a student was Snape. And if her preferences drifted towards greasy gits like him, then she clearly struggled to find options.

An awful image rose to the surface of his mind involving the new professor and Snape, making him give a slight gag. Swiftly ending that train of thought he proceeded towards the Great Hall. At this rate Ron would've devoured half the food on the table, and he was eager to get a full meal.

Tuesday morning dawned bright and early for the students of Hogwarts. Even more so for the educators. Emily had been up two hours before her classes were even scheduled to begin. Today was going to be a good day. No one was going to foil it. Dumbledore had dropped in on two of her classes the day before to see how she was fairing and commented that she had taken to the post as if she were born for it. Had it been a compliment from anyone else, she would've taken pride in it. But she knew that a vast amount of the things that came out of that codger's mouth were drivel. Pretty, but empty words. One day she was going to stick something sharp and pointy down his throat and she wouldn't be bothered by hearing his voice ever again. As it was, until her body aged further, her magical power at its current state would not give her any advantages versus Dumbledore. Sure, she could get in a lucky shot, maybe blast a nice sized hole in some part of his body, but if he played safe, baited out the battle, she would tire sooner than he.

Still, for now, he remained her boss. Until she could convince the Minister that she needed more leeway, anyhow. By the end of the year, she could have him out of his position, and with a little luck, become the Headmistress herself. Of course, such an opportunity may never come knocking, but she would be ready to pounce if ever it did arise. And besides, as it was, she was in quite the advantageous position. She was closer now to both of the greatest thorns in her side than she would probably ever again be. And while she fully intended to deeply embed one of those thorns into herself, pun most assuredly intended, the other she would be most happy to arrange an accident for. But what would be the best way to do it...

Her assassination filled mind did not realize the time passing, and she was still pondering nefarious deeds when the door opened and the first student walked in. His entrance caused her to start and she immediately look at his face. He was a mousy sort, she decided. Blonde hair, round face, and she would never think to call him slim, though fat would be an exaggeration. Chubby she supposed. Still, he wasn't who she desired to see, so she remained seated, face impassive. Had it been a normal day, she'd have greeted him happily, but she was grumpy today, not enough contact with her beloved would do that to her.

"Good morning, Professor Hurst."

Internally, she frowned. She had no interest in speaking to this boy, but then again, she didn't wish to appear unfriendly. She had given the entire staff the impression that she was approachable and endearing. She wanted the students to think that as well... or at least one student and anyone who may be in his close circle of friends. For what better way to covertly get to know someone, than by using their friends.

"Good morning, Mr.-" And once again she trailed off there, with the expectation that he would introduce himself. He did not disappoint.

"Longbottom, ma'am. Neville Longbottom. Its nice to meet you."

Polite. She knew the name Longbottom. The boy's parents had been as annoying as the Potter's. What's more was she knew that the prophecy that she had decided to place on Harry Potter's shoulders, could have just as easily been placed on the boy before her. In the end she had picked Harry because his circumstances mirrored her own the best. They were both half-bloods. Or at the very least, he was closer than the pure-blood before her. She had felt that if the prophecy had deigned that only one would be her equal, it would be the boy who was most similar to herself. Looking at the situation years later, she knew she had made the right choice. At the very least, Harry was more attractive than this boy. If she were going to accidentally created a living Horcrux and then desire a romantic relationship with said Horcrux, then he would have to be attractive. And while this young man was not unseemly, he had some growing to do.

"Mr. Longbottom." She finished with a smile and a nod. She hoped he would not attempt to push the conversation. Her hopes were not in vain, as the boy immediately blushed when she smiled at him and took a seat. Or, had tried to. The unfortunate soul completely missed his chair, scrambling on all fours to get back up, as though the only other witness in the room might have missed it. She hadn't. Polite, but completely uncoordinated. She would wager he hated flying and had troubles enough with both feet on the ground.

It wasn't long before others started pouring in. As each new body entered her room, her hopes were dashed more and more. He had yet to arrive. If he was going to be late, she would gut him like a fish. She had been waiting for far too long to speak with him, to be near him, and here he was (or rather wasn't), teasing her with his own absence. When the bell rang, she took a deep breath and stood from her desk's chair, in the front left corner of the room, to the podium in the front center. As soon as she opened her mouth however, the door slammed open.

Pansy Parkinson rushed quickly inside the classroom. The look on her face made a hunted rabbit look calm. Emily took a deep breath again, and spoke to the girl at the entrance.

"Please take a seat Miss Parkinson, you are the first late student to arrive, but most likely not the last. I shall save detentions for the last student who gets here. Now we are going to have roll call so I can learn your names and place them to your faces. Please answer promptly, and do not expect this to happen again. I don't have any particular preference whether or not you attend class, but bear in mind I enjoy a surprise quiz that weighs heavily on your yearly grade, and I don't allow make ups without a note from Madame Prompfrey."

She took her time, once again hoping that Harry Potter would eventually arrive before the lesson started. While she truly loved teaching, knew she was probably the among the best educators in the world, today all she desired to preen in front of the boy she desired. Show him that through her knowledge, he could perform any feat of magic he desired. Through her lessons, he would overcome any struggle. She had even prepared a perfect little speech for the beginning of the lesson and that little toe rag was going to MISS IT.

She paused at the name of Draco Malfoy to take a third deep breath and calm down. She supposed it was possible that her outburst the day before was causing him to skip her class today. Had she insulted him so much with her crude comment that he had decided to skive off her class? But if it was so personal, then why was it the two people she had seen him with at the feast were not here yet either. Surely he would not be so petty as to involve her other students in a squabble they had shared. Her thoughts only occupied a brief moment in time before she continued the role call, going as far as to give Draco a nod after he responded. After finishing up the roll call with Blaise Zabini, she decided to proceed as planned. She had a rather excellent little lecture lined up and if Harry missed it now, well she would make sure he heard it in detention.

"Welcome class, to your first Defense lesson of the y-"

Once again the door opened, and she knew without a doubt who it was. She could tell by the way her heartbeat became erratic, and her breath turned short. Only to be once again greeted with someone she did not wish to see.

This time it was a tall, gangly boy. He had hideously red hair, and only half his body had entered the room through the crack in the door. As if he was pondering whether he could sneak his way inside without anyone being any the wiser. She leveled a glare at him so fierce his face turned white. Without opening the door any wider, he hung his head, saying, "Sorry professor," and hurried to a seat. The door did not remain still as the next person to enter was a young woman, with what appeared to be an animal on her head. But as girl turned to meet her eyes to give out her own apology, Emily saw that there was no animal on her head, just a bushy mess of hair. It was most unsightly. She too, uttered out a meek apology before scurrying over to sit next to the boy she came inside with. Before she even made it halfway to her seat, the final body shuffled through the door to sit beside the other two and her gaze softened considerably. There he was. Perfect timing. She had yet to truly begin the lesson. And now she had reason to give him detention on the first day they had class together. Already she would get some time alone with him. She smile to herself before realizing that he had simply hurried to a seat next to the other two.

The cad. Being late was a large enough slight against her, but not even apologizing. Harry was starting to come off as a prick. Not to worry, she'd break him of that soon enough.

,

"As I told Miss Parkinson, who was also late, and the rest of the class that I would only punish the last person who showed up late to class today, there are some reprimands in order. You three, please stand and introduce yourselves, as we have already completed roll call, and I don't know your names."

For his two friends, this was necessary, but she, and everyone else in the class, knew who Harry Potter was, she, most assuredly, better than the others. Still all three followed her instructions, the girl being the only one to do so without a hitch. The ginger, Ronald Weasley she learned, was so embarassed his face matched his hair, his ears eclipsing both in color, and stuttered through the introduction. Pathetic, she thought. Probably had a thin, hard surface on his personality, but it was brittle, and inside he was writhing in insecurity. A horrible combination, to be sure. He would likely suffer a few more years with those weaknesses, before time fixed them. That or he would never rise above them, and would probably die doing something stupid and most likely stubborn.

Harry on the other hand, almost handled the introduction perfectly, except when he looked at her full on, his voice broke at 'Potter' and he finished with his eyes looking to the floor. Odds are he was struck by the memory of her words the day before, and lost his focus.

"Now then, normally I would assign each of you detention, but as I don't wish to do that on my second day of teaching, I will only assign one. And that will be to you, Mister Potter. Do you know why?"

"Er, because I was the last to enter the room, professor?"

"No, it was because your two friends apologized for their tardiness. You failed to do so. Therefore, you shall serve detention, not for tardiness, but for lack respectful behavior. Is that clear?"

"Yes Professor Hurst."

After that, she addressed the class as a whole.

"Welcome, fifth years, to your first Defense lesson of the year, In this class, I will prepare you to fight the worst the darkness has to offer. I will teach how to protect yourselves from some of the most horrible things you could ever imagine. I recently returned from a country torn asunder by a large scale war, the likes of which magical Britain has never seen. I have seen a people fight for a cause they truly believe in. I have seen people with nothing left to lose, struggle to the bitter end. And few things get darker than that. The worst of the Dark Arts will make themselves known to you through those who have nothing left to themselves. A person can only truly delve into the darkest reaches of magic, when they only have themselves left to care for. If you believe the worst magic you could ever face would be something as simple as the Killing Curse, then those views will change quickly."

Of course there was no need to tell them that the things she had seen, were in fact things she had done herself. They would probably be horrified to hear that.

"But before we can delve into the deep end of defense, we must first understand the shallow end. Something I would expect students of your year to already know, however, given your, pock marked history of this subject, I will be doing about one month's worth of review. No more. If you find yourself to be lacking still, come see me before or after class, and we will work out a time for you to get help, from, either myself or a more knowledgeable student."

No one raised a hand, so she trudged forth.

"First day of review begins now. Some one tell me how Dark Arts are defined."

And with that, the class discussion began. She was almost in tears with how few hands were raised to her first question. Sixty or so years ago, when she had been in school, the first year classes covered all the basic theory behind each core subject's branch of magic. And yet, here with students in their fifth year, most didn't even know what made a dark spell, dark. The rest of the lecture passed in a similar fashion, the only one really and truly responding to all of her questions being Hermione Granger. Emily was just as glad for this as she was able to study the girl well enough.

She was curious to know whether or not the muggle born would get in her way. The girl didn't make too many glances towards Harry, focusing more on the lecture, but that didn't mean the girl didn't fancy him. Emily knew that as a teenager, Harry was most likely to get intimate with someone he knew on a personal level. She would have to watch him discreetly, to see who he spent time with. After all, she didn't plan on letting some other girl have her man first. That just wouldn't do. While she could tempt him well enough from her position, the position itself would be a hurdle. She could do all the work to get him hot and bothered, but he was more likely to find another student to find release with, rather than pursue his professor.

More plans... more details. Just by making on plan, three new plans needed to be made to compensate. Wouldn't it all be simpler to wipe out the entire classroom, and steal him away? She could magic up a couple of fake bodies for herself and him, and no one would be the wiser.

Had the classroom been filled with muggles in their place, she knew she would have no problem in committing such a massacre. But in spite of her own ravenous desires, she could not bring herself to truly contemplate killing two dozen magical teens. They weren't standing against her... they were just witnesses. And either way, deep down, she did crave being an educator. It was a position of power and control as well as respect, and she was always drawn to such occupations. The entire thing was a moot point with the vow she gave to Dumbledore anyway. Dropping that line of abstract thought, she cast a tempus charm to see the time and was surprised to see that the lesson was almost over.

"Alright, the time is waning on us. I want you all to research the principals and properties of magic that will classify a spell as dark, then I want you to pick a dark curse and write an eight inch essay on how precisely it is classified as such. The paper will be due next week. Potter, please wait a moment after class."

Just as she finished saying that, the magical chime reverberated through the castle letting all the students and faculty know the period had ended.

Her students started filing out, and she sat down at her desk. Harry made his way towards her quickly, probably nervous and wanting to get the conversation over with quickly.

"Professor Hurst, I'd like to apologize for... well, not apologizing earlier. I was a bit flustered and... well, I am sorry."

She lazily raised her eyes to his face, he was close enough to her that all her discomfort and agitation was washed away. Knowing that the reprieve was only temporary, she let the good mood guide her speech.

"To be completely honest with you Potter, I had planned on asking you to stay late today since before you were tardy." Keep it formal, you're supposed to have just met, she told herself. "I'd like to apologize myself, for the incident yesterday. I was out of line and very rude. This is a new place, quite unlike my home country, and I suppose the stress had caused me to reach a breaking point."

He nodded at her apology, but did nothing else, so she continued.

"However, you were a bit rude yourself today, so, maybe we can start anew. My name is Amelia Hurst and its a pleasure to be your professor."

She held her hand out to him with a smile and he took it in a friendly shake. She had to control every muscle in her face from moving however, as the physical contact between their hands sent a wave of heat through her body. It was odd to think of it as such, but there was a certain zone he could occupy. Within three meters of her, but not touching her, and she felt blissful, but further than that, set off her symptoms of not having him. Touching her, well that just made her want to jump him. Such a thing was only a problem with the lack of physical contact they had. Withdrawal of a sort.

''Hello, Professor Hurst, my name's Harry Potter, and I hope to learn a lot from you this year."

She decided to take a gamble. "Now, I am glad that we cleared the air, but I don't want to go about rescinding detentions. The rumors regarding my authority that would start would be unacceptable. However, come by my office tonight after your last class. We can cover some more of the theory and maybe I'll show you a spell or two." She said the last sentence with slight undertone of desire, wondering if he would pick up on it, but his smile was the only thing she received in turn, and it told her little.

As Harry Potter left her classroom, she once again felt the immersion of discomfort that she was becoming accustomed to. Desperate times, she thought. She would make a move on him tonight. Allow the detention to play its course, tell him to go, and right before he left the door, she would call him back. Wipe his memory from the point he was leaving and add a muddled journey to his dormitory to fill the gap. Even if Dumbledore was suspecting that the boy's mind was being tampered with, he would have to extract the memory directly to notice the changes. She could indulge herself this way, while continuing her own personal little crusade for his affections.

With a small smile, she began to focus on her next class, looking the perfect picture of a young woman thinking of a man who caught her fancy.

A/N: I found it difficult to write the two in a setting such as Hogwarts. Tried several things, just didn't really sit well with me. Ended up writing them as I have been, and keeping the setting abstract. Only included what I needed to as far as surroundings and let the rest be.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm worried that all this time in Hogwarts might make you all feel as though Emily is getting a little tame. Please don't fool yourselves. A wolf is a wolf, sheep's clothing or not.

Chapter 9

Harry Potter spent the rest of his day in a bit of a stupor. Had anyone asked him outright, he would have denied it, but he was looking forward to his detention this evening. Defense Against the Dark Arts was his strongest subject easily, and to add to that, he was now getting a personal tutoring from a war veteran. Professor Hurst knew what it was like to be in the thick of it. And while many of his other professor's did indeed fight through a war, none had attempted to directly pass on such teachings to him.

While his professor's taught their subjects well enough, except perhaps Snape, and he felt his core education was not lacking, except History, if Dumbledore was correct about Voldemort... well then, he felt woefully unprepared. How was he to fight a witch with 60 years of magical experience on him? Who had personally killed hundreds, if not thousands of people. Who was going to prepare him for the coming struggle he would face when she inevitably came for him? For Dumbledore was certain she would come for him. The Headmaster honestly felt she wanted nothing more than to possess him as an object, even if he had not disclosed the reason why.

True, they may have started off on the wrong foot, but the new professor was offering to teach him one on one. It was a special circumstance, but maybe if he proved his ability here, she would want to expand his knowledge further. She wasn't much older than him, but she survived a war that she said was worse than the one Britian experienced when Voldemort was in power. Surely what magic she knew and could perform would carry him far. At least far enough, then it would be up to his own luck to do the rest.

'Of course' he thought to himself, 'It did help that she was quite pretty as well.'

Had it been Professor McGonagall, he doubt he would have had quite the same fervor to meet the detention head on. But to be fair, McGonagall had proven to be very strict and formal, something that while Professor Hurst did adhere to, he felt as though she wouldn't go out of her way to show it.

He stopped short at that thought. In truth, he was finding himself oddly familiar with his new professor. It was like an odd taste in his mouth. Not an unpleasant feeling, but not really a welcome one either. Why was it that he found himself so at ease with someone he barely knew?

In the end, Harry simply chalked it up to them being far closer in age than he and her other co-workers and left the thoughts at that. Having only three classes total that day, he spent his last free period getting a head start on his different assignments for the week. It was already showing itself, the fact that it was an exam year. OWL's were a base score of a wizard's understanding of a subject, NEWTs being a more advanced aptitude than Owl's. The more OWLs one had, the more qualifications one had later down in the road.

Therefore his teacher's were already loading on the coursework. Being only his third day, he already had five essays and several reading assignments he needed to make some progress on.

When the magical chime signaled the end of the final lesson, Harry packed up all of his school supplies, sans defense book, and left his dormitory to serve his detention.

Emily was on pins and needles for the last half of her final class of the day. She recalled the last time she had made plans to spend some alone time with Harry, and almost shuddered at the thought. Her darker desires had been at the helm of that ship, and while she did feel a twinge of disappointment in not getting to have that certain kind of fun, she was glad such a desire was behind her... at least involving her beloved anyway. She was hardly ready to shelve the Cruciatus curse permanently after all, she was far to good at it, and found it terribly entertaining to perform. As the last student left her class, she began waving her wand, changing the room. She had decided to give him some one on one time, so she would make sure they had the space. Though she had yet to think of what they would cover after a brief lecture on the theory, she decided to get the basics ready.

With a flick, all the chairs and tables made their way to the walls. A swish had three human shaped targets appear in the corner. And lastly she conjured up a couple of bottles of water (A/N: Gamp's law excludes water.) as she had every intention of making him work up a sweat. One way or another.

The changes to the room only took moments, so she decided to whittle away the remaining time at her desk looking over the textbooks. She had already decided on what they would cover tonight, but she was hoping for this not to be a one time thing. The more often she could entice him into her classroom alone, the more of an impression she would make on him, and of course, the more she could have her wicked way with him before allowing the more lust filled times to sink further into the depths of his mind.

The door opened while she was pondering, and the boy she had been waiting for stepped inside. At once, her focus abandoned her previous line of thought and zeroed in on him. Every detail about him stood out clearly to her in this moment. His messy hair, rumpled clothes, even the bit of ink staining a knuckle. He had been sitting somewhere, likely doing homework. The moment unfortunately to an end, but she knew that many more were to follow and fill the rest of the evening.

"Hello professor. I'm here for my detention."

"Oh, and here I thought this was a social visit." She let that comment hang in the air for a moment, before realizing he might mistake her playfulness as sarcasm. Not wanting to start their time on a negative note, so plastered the biggest smile she could on her face. It wasn't a struggle to do so, thankfully. She was ecstatic that he was here. Even more so, he was here when no one else was. She finally had him all to herself. No impending class soon to start. Just him and her.

"Well, no matter I suppose. Now I believe I said we'd delve more into the theory of Defense, and once you had a fair grasp of that, I might show you a couple spells. Tell me, in your own words mind you, don't repeat what I said earlier in class, what makes Dark magic, dark?"

"Mostly intent, professor. The magic behind a severing charm and a cutting hex are all, for the most part, the same. However, the magic behind the cutting hex has a different affinity, making it harder to heal with standard healing spells. The magic remains on the wound instead of dissipating as do normal spells. This remaining magic needs to be dealt with before treating the injury. I s'pose, what makes a spell dark, is the different affinity that is added into the spell."

"Excellent. Someone has already done some reading on the subject matter. However, let me explain the magic in an easier way to understand. Instead of thinking that the magic itself has an 'affinity' to it... an extra part to its composition, or an entirely different composition all together, its more like" At this Emily paused in her explanation to search for the right word.

"Its more like a cancerous addition to the magic. Think of it not as a different kind of magic, but more as a little extra twist. It is the extra twist that sticks around, not the spell itself. However that is not the case with all dark magic. For instance, the killing curse has no need for basic magic with a twist. The killing curse is nothing more than the so called twist. Hence why no magical shield can block it. Understand?"

"Not really professor. Last year, we learned from Professor... well, from last year's professor that the killing curse took a lot of magic to cast. He doubted that at our age, anyone could cast it. If the killing curse is just that twist, then why is it so hard to cast?"

"Fair question, I should have expanded my explanation of the killing curse. The killing curse is an immense strain on magic for no other reason than its function. It directly removes the life from a body. Though 'life' is a hard concept to explain. Most assume it removes the soul from a body, as a dementor does, but that is incorrect. It simply prevents the body functioning any more. The amount of magic to do something of that manner is immense, due to the fact that a living body has many fail safes to stop it from death. The killing curse bypasses all natural law and simply ends life."

"As for the magical part of the curse, well you already said it. Its intent. Its the overwhelming intent to end a life. Its malice, pain, anger, even fear, take every negative emotion and roll it up with an incantation, and you have instant and unavoidable death." She finished her explanation there and waited for him to ask another question.

"So the reason a dark spell is dark... is because of the emotion behind it?"

"No, not behind it. In it. I hear you can produce a Patronus. Similar to a Patronus being fueled by happiness, dark arts are fueled by negativity. There is a very select branch of magic that directly opposes the dark arts. These arts are taught to all who go through healer training, though a persons aptitude for the spells varies. Do you know the spell, Episkey?"

"Yes ma'am. It fixes broken bones. A previous professor attempted to fix my arm in second year with it, and ended up removing the bones all together."

"WHAT?!" Her emotions flared at that. Some oaf had removed her beloved's bone from his body. An oaf that apparently was a professor. "What kind of fool is that arse Dumbledore hiring to teach in this bloody institution? Has that old goat gone round the bend further in his old age?"

Harry Potter's eyebrows had almost vanished into his fringe at Professor Hurst's outrage. Though he knew she had been appointed by the ministry, and likely had no love lost for Professor Dumbledore, he had never heard of anyone verbally cursing the headmaster in such a way. Even though he was aghast that someone would say that about Dumbledore, at the same time, he couldn't help but agree. Had there really been no other candidates for the position other than Lockhart?

"From what I'm aware, the headmaster didn't have many options for the position. And if it makes you feel better, the professor in question ended up erasing his own memory."

Emily couldn't contain a bark of laughter at that. Her rage could never hold its grip when Harry was near her. It dissipated quickly. "Oh my god, how did that happen?"

"Er, well it happened inside the Chamber of Secrets. He was trying to Obliviate my friend, Ron, and myself when we went down there to save Ron's sister."

Her blood ran cold at that. So much information in those two sentences. The Chamber which by default involved her horcrux, and someone other than herself trying to alter his memory. Fortunately Harry thought her shock was a product of the story itself and not the hidden bits of information, he had unknowingly informed her of.

"Its all fine now though. That git isn't here anymore, you are. And I doubt you would vanish bones instead of healing them."

That comment broke her out of her reverie and she resumed focus on him. Giving him a small smile, she replied to him.

"Actually I think we can have you do it yourself. What's more, I feel as though you have a firm grasp of the theory of darks arts, so why don't we have you heal a bone broken by dark magic?"

"Sounds great Professor Hurst, just one problem. I don't see any dark wizard's nearby who are snapping peoples bones."

"Oh don't you worry about that, Harry. I'll be your volunteer."

And before Harry could even think to interject, she pointed her wand to her left forearm and with a swipe and audible crack was heard. About the only way to break anything in her body was to use dark magic, and her pain threshold was more than high enough to suffer through a little break. It was certainly easier to handle than when her hand had exploded in his home. A mild discomfort in comparison.

His reaction was priceless however. His eyes widened to their limit and his face drained of color. It turned a little green when she flopped the broken arm on her desk in the corner, motioning for him to come over. He shuffled over quickly as though not wanting to approach her, but at the same time, also feeling an overwhelming urge to help her.

"What the hell, Professor? What do I do to fix it? Are you okay? Why did you do that?"

His rapid fire questions were adorable, but she only paid the second one any mind.

"Now listen closely, Harry. The incantation for this spell is 'Parfractum'. The wand movement is a forward thrust with a downward flick. It will mend the bone and remove the dark magic. Unfortunately dark magic always leaves a mark of some sort, but the important bit is that it will heal. Now as to the important bit. Similar to a patronus, you must use positive feelings to motivate this magic. It can be anything from happiness or hope, even love. But if you fail to put in the emotion, well, lets just say you will place me in a great deal of pain. Now, get to it."

Emily wasn't worried about his ability to cast the spell. He had more than enough intent. The pained look on his face told her that he very much wanted her to be fixed. What's more, that intent was a positive feeling, because at that moment, his greatest desire was to heal her arm. That desire would be more than enough to mend her bone.

"Parfractum"

Sure enough, when he waved his want and spoke the incantation, her arm snapped back into place with a jolt that made her grimace, then her entire arm felt warm and the bones fused back together. Picking her hand up from her desk, she waved it in front of him.

"Not too bad Harry. A bit too forceful, the bones could've moved more gently to cause less discomfort, but a good first go. Ready for a second try?"

"NO!"

She had barely finished her sentence before he shut that idea down.

"I really appreciate you wanting to teach me new things professor, but please, don't hurt yourself like that again. That made the entire lesson hard to stomach"

Once again she saw the fierce passion in those green eyes, and she realized once again that really, he was still just a child. He couldn't stand to see anyone in pain, and the overwhelming empathy she felt from him made her rethink her rash teaching method. Those thoughts only lasted a moment however, because as she kept looking into his intense gaze, other thoughts permeated her mind. How she wanted to lock her lips onto his when he looked at her like that. She would easily be able to view this memory in a pensieve and bring herself to orgasm just from that look alone. It wasn't just the eyes though. His entire stance reflected his thoughts. His posture was rigid, firm, letting her know that it was an issue he was unwilling to back down from.

"As you wish then. Tell me, what were you thinking of when you cast the spell?"

"Well, that's kind of... I'd rather not say."

"I understand if something makes you uncomfortable, however I am your professor. Nothing you say to me will leave this room." Nor will the things I do to you. But she kept that thought from leaving her mouth.

"Er, well there's this girl I like. Her name is Cho and she w-" Harry trailed off here at the look on his professor's face.

Emily felt her mood sour quickly when he started talking about another woman. So he did have a crush, involuntarily a sneer broke out onto her face. Her eyes narrowed and she instinctively gripped her wand harder than she needed to.

"Oh, a young romance. Tell me Harry, what exactly is it you like about Ms. Chang. I had her in class yesterday."

Her tone was no longer friendly, a fact that Harry picked up on easily. In fact it was closer to a hiss, and Harry wondered if he still understood her due to his ability to speak Parseltongue Where as up until now it was easy to look at his professor in the eyes, it was now almost impossible. For Harry was deeply unsettled by the slits they had turned into.

"Well she's pretty." The words seemed to be failing him now, voice barely more audible than a whisper and fairly mumbled at that..

"Hmph, come now, there must be more than that, otherwise you would fancy half the young ladies in this school. Tell me more."

Though her voice was no longer a hiss, Harry could still here an darker edge to it. The thought to flee never entered his mind however, as she was within a foot of him and he really had no room to escape.

"She, um, she plays Quidditch, she is a seeker. I really like how she uh, flies" He finished lamely.

"Hah, so thats all it takes for the great Harry Potter. A pretty face who enjoys having a thick piece of wood between her legs."

It was at this comment that Harry's discomfort evaporated to be replaced with anger. How dare Professor Hurst go about insulting Cho like that. His anger mounted faster than he had ever felt, but then again, this had been the first time, other than Malfoy, that someone had insulted a person he cared about to his face. It probably hit him even harder as he had really started to like this professor. Still the anger had an easy outlet to show itself, and so it did.

"At least she can actually get some wood between her legs. I bet you must struggle to do the same with a face like yours." It must have been the years of hearing Draco Malfoy's insults that had inspired that particular bit of meanness to leave Harry's mouth and had he not been so angry, he knew he would have begged for forgiveness after having said it. As it was, he smirked as her face changed from a look of anger to shock. He'd gotten her good with that one.

In their shouting match, the distance between them had widened a few extra feet and Emily was no longer in the zone of comfort that she enjoyed. Her lust rushed back to her and his comments on her looks drove her to her next actions. Taking the ring that she had intrinsically spelled to change her appearance off, the same ring he had given her, her body resumed her normal form. Then grabbing his robes, but not before seeing the comical look of shock written all over his face, she pulled him into the most searing kiss she had ever felt. Anger, she decided, was the best spice you could have for sex. She wanted to slap him about half as much as she wanted to strip him and the combination was intoxicating.

Harry was uncertain as to what was going on. His professor's appearance had just changed to a completely different woman, she was now only a couple inches taller than him, and she was now kissing him as though he were the last man on earth. Had it been a few months ago, Harry's action's would've been different. He would have pushed her off of him, gotten some space between them before most likely exploding in anger. However the Harry from a few months had not been plagued by such incredibly arousing dreams involving a pretty dark haired witch. A witch who looked remarkably similar to the one attempting to taste his esophagus. So it was with an eager hormonal need that Harry responded to his professor's kiss. Her hands were fisted in the front of his robes, and he took advantage of their position by sliding his hands into the folds of her robes to feel her body from outside her clothes. Lightly running his hands from her waste to gently brush the underside of her breast, he repeated the motion over and over as they moved their tongues around each other's mouths.

His professor was winning the battle of the mouths as her tongue remained firmly supplanted inside his mouth. Thus her breathing was far easier than his. When he wrenched his mouth away to gasp a much needed breathe of air, he caught a glimpse of her eyes. Her vibrant red eyes.

"Voldemort."

The sound of her old moniker shook a bit of the fog from her head, though it wasn't enough to stop her actions. Hands still fisted in his robes, she pulled him back to her to continue the good time only to quickly notice his mouth was no longer allowing her tongue entrance. So entranced by this unfortunate development, she didn't notice the fist headed towards her jaw, but when it connected, she did notice the stars. The hit dizzied her, and her grip slackened allowing him to slip away. Had it been anyone else, she would have been caught unaware by his spellfire, but she could feel everything about him. Which direction he was in, could feel the magic flowing through his body and into the familiar wand and she even got the briefest hint of the spell he was about to use. Allowing her body to ungracefully slump to the left allowed her to dodge the spell, and then she whipped her own wand out and disarmed him easily. Thinking that she had bought herself a brief repose, now that she held both of their wands, she tilted her gaze upwards, trying to blink the black dots away. A mistake.

All of a sudden she was tackled full force from the front. But it didn't stop there. The boy started wailing on her, arms flailing about, trying to put as much force as possible behind each and every strike. Even though not a single bone was cracked during his assault, it still hurt like the dickens, so her responding slap collided with his face with a disgusting crack, entirely lifting his body off of her. Immediately, she recalled the muggle she had just recently murdered in the same manner and panic took hold of her. She rolled upwards and saw him laying still a few feet away. She leapt towards him, almost hyperventilating, and checked his pulse. It was there.

Her body nearly went limp at the relief. She would have to exercise more control. She tilted his head towards her and saw what had exactly cause the sound. Her hand had glanced off of his cheek bone, breaking it. The slap had forced the then cracked bones to puncture out of his face. It was a messy sight, but not totally unfamiliar. This was very similar to how her own hand looked after she tried to murder his extended family. Therefore she treated the wound in the same manner. A few seconds later she was looking at his beautifully unblemished face, barring her mark, and thinking how lovely and peaceful he looked at the moment.

She laid him back down, and curled into his body as much as she could manage on the floor. It was hard to imagine less than a minute before he had been punching at her face for all he was worth. Indeed even her emotions had evened out, she was no longer plagued by rampaging desire and was content as she could possibly be, with just the barest amount of skin contact.

Such was the contentment that she drifted off into a doze.

She awoke a couple hours later when he was stirring. Not willing to leave his company just yet, she placed their wands in an inner pocket of her robes and watched him as his mind steered him towards consciousness.

Harry's mind was a whirlwind of thought. Vague feeling of anger and hate we're washing over his barely awake thoughts. There was also the sense of desire, but he had long since grown accustomed to that feeling over the past few months when waking up. He felt a weight at his side, and with a monumental effort he opened a single eye to see what it was. And it all came back when emerald met ruby. Not quite ready to resume physical antagonism, he used words.

"Get off of me you demented freak."

Emily didn't need any larger a clue to know how deeply angered he was. After living eleven years of childhood being called a freak, it was only at his lowest point that he would use the term himself.

"That was rude, Harry, I know you don't understand right now, but I can fix that." And with that, she drew her wand and before Harry could move she had reconnected his memories and everything was clear.

"What are you playing at here, Emily?"

She grinned at him. "I wanted more time with you. I needed it to be honest. So I took up the Defense post here and now... well, now I have as much access to you as I want."

"I'm not a bloody commodity. And if you think the sparse few encounters we have had are enough for me to have fallen for you, I must've nailed you in the face harder than I thought."

Emily couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Not quite like that, I'm afraid. I wanted some personal time with you. If my plan is going to work, if you're truly going to fall for me, I'll have to have that. It can't just be a hundred first meetings you know. Any relationship has to have the proper growth. A proper time period for the love between two people to deepen."

Harry understood where she was coming from. It was likely one of Dudley's video games. Every time she wiped his memory she was progressing through the game, but it was when she brought his memory back and interacted with him during that time that she saved the progress. It was the little steps that she took with him here that would inspire the emotions she wanted him to have in the future. Swearing to love him more than anyone else could ever was the first little step. He wondered if she planned to make a second one here.

"I can feel the wheels in your head turning, you know. And no, I don't have any grand romantic gestures for you. Unless of course," She slid her body from his side to lying on top of him, pressing them both together. "Unless of course, you would count me giving you my body as a romantic gesture. Then by all means, I intend to romance you for hours."

If there was one thing Harry could not deny he liked about Emily Riddle, it was her quips. It was the little jokes she said that had Harry, inwardly at least, smile. When he saw her like this, it was so easy to remember the young muggle woman he had developed such a powerful crush on a month before. The girl she had been impostering. And it was a time when he felt the worst guilt, being so friendly with the woman who had taken everything he had lost from him.

Emily felt his emotions rise with her joke, though she would have gladly made it serious if he so desired, and then fall, and the guilt was so apparent and strong she could feel it herself.

"Hm" She hummed in his ear softly. "Why is it you can't allow yourself to smile when I give you a reason to?"

"How can it not be obvious to you? Our positions haven't exactly changed. You plan on destroying everything around you to rebuild it the way you want it to be, and I still want to desperately stop you because those things you plan on destroying, many of them I care about."

At this he turned to face her and continued.

"Just where is it in your master plans, the place for my muggleborn friends? Your pureblood followers won't just roll over when you take control. Lets be honest, they'll want muggleborns treated as second class citizens at best, slaves at worst. One of my two best friends is a muggleborn witch. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her, and all the other's safe. From you. From your dreams. I agreed to allow myself to fall in love with you on the day you make it so. But that doesn't mean I won't still fight. It doesn't mean I'll give up. If anything, I'll fight even harder. I'll fight for the love that we'll share, because if you do the things you're going to do, it'll break my heart faster than anything you could imagine. And then, there won't be any love left for you to save."

His declaration hit her like a punch to the stomach. She had thought she had the end goal in mind. She would become his everything and then she would focus on her dreams with him at her side. It was a short sighted goal. Right now, it felt as though her entire world revolved around him, and even still, she had other desires, other plans she wanted to nurse to fruition. So even if she did manage to make him love her as much as she loved him, he too would have other things he desired. He was a protector. She had known that since he was eleven, when he risked his life to keep a stone away from her, that would have allowed her to regain her form. Reinforced when Peter told her that he had selflessly gone into the Chamber of Secrets with only his best friend to save said friend's sister.

She grit her teeth as a sickly nausea rolled into her stomach. The image of him kissing her one day, then the next not even being able to look at her, before him disappearing all together came into her mind. She had come up with a fool proof plan to get him, but now she realized that she would have to work to keep him. The nausea kept growing clawing at her insides, the thought almost unbearable, before looking at his face, seeing his eyes before it started to fade. It didn't leave however. The knot of it remained in her gut forcing her to realize that it would be a priority.

Closing her eyes, she did the first thing that came to her naturally. She clung to him, pulling him closer before meeting his lips with her own for a sensual kiss. This was a different kiss for her. All other kisses they had before were products of her lust and desire. Even the ones she stole from him when he was unconscious. This one was backed by insecurity and fear. Desperation. He couldn't leave her. Once he started loving her, he could never stop. Just the idea of it put a greater fear inside of her than she had ever felt. Not even her fear of death could trump this feeling. For death was something that she had control over. But his heart, his honest love, was only something he could give her. Potions or curses could give her a weak facsimile of it, but it would never be what she truly desired from him.

It would seem as though Harry felt the different motivations behind this kiss, because he offered no resistance, and allowed it. The kiss was deep, but slow. She kept her arms wound tightly around him as though he would scamper off if she loosened her hold. Emily was unsure whether it was and instinctive reaction to make her feel better, or maybe he too felt some trepidation at the picture he had painted with his words and also needed comfort.

When their kiss broke, they were both taking in lungfuls of air. They had remained latched together far longer than most kisses tended to and they both were in desperate need of oxygen.

Emily slowly brought her hands to cup his face.

"Harry Potter, I feel you may still one day be the death of me." She smiled at him. "Make no mistake, I intend to realize my goals for the wizarding world. What's more, you will be by my side when I do so." The words, though seemingly demanding, were spoken in a breathless whisper. When she continued however, her voiced steeled. "However, I love you."

She had outright said it to him. This wasn't like the previous time, where she told him it might be love. That it was similar to love. She cast aside all doubt and made her declaration.

"I love you. Your happiness is a part of my own. While I am sure that in the future we will fight, we will stand opposed at some points, I will always do my best to ensure your happiness." She stood, taking her hands from his face.

"And if that means some of my plans need to change, then so be it. Because from now on, I will value the things that you value. I will look after those you care about as much as I can, because they make you happy, and I'm starting to understand that doing that, making you happy, is one of the most enjoyable things I can do. Your smile, hearing you laugh. I crave those things. I crave just this, the time we spend together, baring our souls to one another. Though I can not promise to protect all you hold dear in the future, I can give you this much. I will consider your happiness first. I will choose the path to my desire, but I will make certain it is the path that lines up the closest with the one you have too. And if no such path presents itself," She looked into his eyes, offering her hand to him to pull him up.

Once again pulling him into her embrace, she continued, " And if no such path presents itself, you and I will walk together forging our own way down the middle. I am Emily Riddle, Harry Potter. There is nothing that I can not do."

And though she had previously told him no, Harry found that she had been wrong. She may not have had an overwhelming romantic gesture ready for him, but she had certainly managed to find one anyway. It was her confidence, the raw emotion in her voice, that caused him to lean his head towards her and for the first time, initiated a kiss between them.

"Hah. Why Mr. Potter, did you just kiss me?" The gloat was instinctual. It came without thought, but his response had her blushing, as it was probably the most heartfelt thing anyone had ever said to her.

"You're a beautiful girl who says beautiful things. Lets call it a moment of weakness and leave it at that."

A/N: So I felt a bit odd ending the chapter here, but I liked it. Kinda weird, but the next chapter will literally pick up right after this sentence, but with a big plot point. Don't really know what Ima do with said plot point, but yea, just wanted to let yall know.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Fun times ahead everyone. Harry's stepping up his game, well as much as he can, considering. Its now a tug of war between the two of them. You should start expecting some time skips soon. We are 10 chapters in and only at the end of the first week of school. The relationship between the two is gonna level out a bit here, and things won't be so... moment after moment.

Chapter 10

"Are the memory charms even necessary anymore?"

Harry watched her closely when he asked the question, wanting to gauge her reaction. Unfortunately, he got nothing from her as physically she had no reaction to his question other than her reply.

"Shouldn't that be a question I ask you? Are they necessary? You said so yourself, you aren't in love with me. Therefore I would most likely assume they are still required. Unless something has changed?"

She gave him a side ways glance, as though daring him to speak up. He did not disappoint.

"I would prefer to be aware of you and what you're doing. I know you have no qualms in killing people Emily. Or just using them in general for you needs. You may desire to meet me halfway in your goals from now on, but I'm not foolish enough to believe you would hesitate killing someone if you felt it needed to be done. And that only applies to the people I'm close to. Anyone else is probably still fair game in your eyes. Am I right?"

"Hm, you are."

She gave him no more than that. Just the two words. Once again, he felt this was her daring him to continue.

"I'd like to know what your doing and be able to stop you if the need arises."

"Hmph, then I daresay the memory charms are more than necessary. They'll stop you from meddling in my affairs."

"Tch," he scoffed. "What happened to walking together, and forging our own path."

"Perhaps I mispoke. I will be forging the path and will carry you behind me. You'll not have to worry about anything, I will take care of it."

"You're not exactly trying to be a team player here Emily."

"I tend to not need team mates. They only slow me down."

"Is that what I am to you then? A hurdle in your way, albeit one you enjoy."

"Unless you start directly opposing me, I will never see you as a hurdle, Harry. And even if you do oppose me in the future and become one, I can simply jump over you." She smirked at him, reminding him that in the end, he was just a student. No real threat to her in the long run.

"Give me a broom and I can promise you won't make it high enough."

Emily looked closely at him at that. His face was turned to the side and the sentence was muttered, he was being petulant. However, his words did hold a second meaning. If she were to teach him more and pass on her skills to him, he could indeed become a hurdle she might not be able to pass. What would she do then. If he truly was able to force her into a position where it was a choice between killing him or giving up her dreams for the future, she didn't know which choice she would make. She wanted the cake, but she wanted to eat it too. As of now, she was walking on a tight rope, balancing the scales, forcing things to work. On one end stood the world, hers for the taking. The other held a single boy, who did not want any part of the taking. Oh well, one thing at a time.

"Hm, last I checked, you already have a broom of your own. You don't really need me to give you one. By the way, you bought a Firebolt? I'm no Quidditch buff, but last I checked those are just shy of 2,000 galleons. And you've had yours for over a year, meaning the price was higher when you bought it. Why would you so flippantly spend your money like that?"

The thought just came to her, conveniently when she needed a change of subject. She had been informed by Barty Jr. that the boy had a top of the line broom and had flown it amazingly to pass the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. She knew Harry was a teenager, and probably not all that responsible, but he could have easily made a down payment on a house with that kind of money. Though she expected that the Potter's were still quite wealthy, so it mattered little. Not that money meant anything to her. Her most loyal follower had seen fit to hand her a vault key for Gringots. Back then, some twenty years ago, the funds had been useful during the open warfare she had engaged with the ministry. However, when she vanished and her most loyal were thrown into Azkaban, the vault's coffers remained as they were. While the Potter vault may contain a small fortune in galleon's, it had nothing on the Lestrange vault. Emily had access to millions of galleons, and though she had no reason to use it, she was comforted by the fact that it was there.

"It was actually a gift, from my godfather."

Emily's eyes widened at that. Ah, yes, young Sirius Black. Thought to be her most faithful to the general public. She inwardly laughed at that, right tree, wrong branch. Last she was aware of, he was still a wanted man.

"You're telling me, that a wanted criminal somehow managed to purchase you a ridiculously expensive broom? Well, I suppose with magic, anything is possible. How well do you know Mr. Black?"

She knew of the connection between the two from Peter, even as far as Harry's godfather's suggestion that Harry move in with him and Harry immediate agreement. Just another piece of information to show how awful his childhood was. Still she wanted to know more about the people in her lover's life. At least, the important ones.

"Er, I guess not too well in all honesty. He used to be a prankster in school, along with my dad..."

She listened to the little he knew of Sirius Black's life. He seemed surprised by how much information ended up coming out of his own mouth.

"Seems like a fun guy." She smirked at him, "If you had a choice between moving into my home or his, which would you pick?"

"His definitely, probably less blood soaked into the walls."

She pouted at how easily she was dismissed. Not that she had expected much. She was just glad they were able to hold a friendly conversation like this.

"Now wait a minute, you got me off topic there," he said. "The memory charm."

"Really, I thought I had shut that train of thought down already. Was there something else you wanted to say on the subject?"

She shot him a grin. He should know better, her mind was made up in this. He wouldn't be able to change it.

"Well if you let my memory be, we could, maybe, fool around every now and then."

She underestimated him. He did know better, he knew what leverage was and how much he had. He was going to bargain to get his way, and Emily had to admit, she liked where he was going with it. He turned his head away from her when he said it, so first she would have to figure out if he was just being shy, or lying through his teeth so he could rat her out to Dumbledore. While it was true, that they had reached a vague peace, she held no illusion that he wouldn't oust her from Hogwarts if he could. He hated to be controlled and she knew he was aware that until she was gone, he would be jumping through the hoops she wanted him to. Still, she could fish for a good time, then work on finding his motives later.

"Is that so. Why don't you enlighten me as to what precisely you have in mind, when you say 'fool around'?"

"You know, snogging and stuff. What we were doing earlier."

"You're going to have to offer me something more than some light teasing Harry. Some broom cupboard, children's tryst isn't going to cut it."

"Come on, Emily. You can't expect me to just shag you whenever you want me to. You have a profile you need to keep, and you'll blow it if someone sees the two of us going at it like rabbits."

"I can assure you that if I want something kept secret, it will stay that way."

"Yeah, because you kept your own return a secret for what, a couple weeks, before screwing it up and letting Dumbledore find out."

"A minor setback. And after all, Im right under his nose and he knows nothing of it. So Harry, what's it gonna be? Are you going to shag me ragged on my desk, or shall I work some more magic on that head of yours?"

He made a sound of frustration. Something of a angry pirate 'argh'.

"Damnit Emily. Work with me here." Whipping out his wand he summoned one of the chairs lined against the wall. He then sat down in it and put a hand over his eyes. With a thumb and the first two fingers on his hand he massaged his closed lids. After a moment, he gave a sigh, and slumped forward, tilting his neck upwards to look at her.

"Is there really nothing else I can offer you?"

Maybe it was the tone of finality. Maybe it was the sight of him caving, but still being unwilling. She wasn't sure what it was precisely, but something in her head screamed at her to make this a bit easier for him. To throw him another life line. She was so amazed that a teenaged boy would turn down a roll in the sack, though she supposed it may mostly be due to the fact that it was 'she' who was offering. She had pushed and pushed and he was about to break, but not in the manner she wanted. This was not how she wanted things to progress between them, but she had known from the beginning that she would have to strong arm him through the beginning of their relationship. He couldn't just give up and accept his fate, she had to have him choose her. She needed that.

Just as she had pushed and pushed for him to make the oath about their future together. Take away all his choices and then dangle a ray of hope in front of him. He was terrified of falling for her, so she agreed to allow him to sway her future decisions. He was terrified of her harming those he cared for, so she agreed to do her best not to. And now he was terrified of sleeping with her, so she would give him some space about it.

"Not particularly, but I suppose..." She trailed of thoughtfully, as though she were pondering if he could do anything else.

"I suppose this is somewhat sudden for you." She continued. "You are rather young, and such intimacies may be intimidating right now."

Harry said nothing, as he was unsure of where this was going, but at least knew it was headed somewhere better than where they were coming from.

"How about we make a deal?" Emily offered.

"What kind?" he asked.

"I will give you any one thing that you want, within reason, and in turn, you give me, what I want. And I will also allow you to keep your memories intact."

Harry pondered this. Other than the blatant prostitution/proposition vibe he was getting from this, he wasn't too sure how he felt about this deal. She was basically paying him for sex. Or at the very least, willing to compensate him for it. What was worse, was that she was probably going to continue to press him for it. Constantly. He needed time to think. He needed to delay her. Ugh, he needed Hermione to be here to help him figure out what to do. Heck even Ron would handle this better, he was always up for a game of strategy. Harry was more suited towards things that required bravery and brute force, not this, skewed bargaining.

It hit him like a lightning bolt. A spark of ingenuity. A way to give himself more time, and a way to give into her wants.

"I want a heartfelt gift."

Emily balked at that. "You want what now?"

"I want a heartfelt gift. From you. Your choice, but it has to be something I can tell you have put a lot of thought into. Something you truly feel I would appreciate."

She scoffed at him. Any other boy would've thought a woman offering to take his virginity would be the most heartfelt gift around. But he obviously disagreed. What could she possibly offer him that he would accept in that manner? What did he truly desire? Emily found herself stumped. She knew much about the boy even though their interactions had been few, but she didn't know about the things he lacked. Love, obviously, but she was already trying to give him that. He just wasn't taking it. And how desperately she wanted him to take it, to take her.

But still, he desired love. And he didn't want hers, so she would give him someone else's. She smiled at him, already knowing just what she would do.

"I'll have just the thing for you. I will need a couple of days for it to get here though. But once you have it, and I already know you will love it, you must promise to give me what I want."

"Done. The day you get me a gift I can truly tell was heartfelt, I will sleep with you."

"Good, perfect in fact. Now, I am willing to allow you to retain your memories, but you are going to have to make a magical oath to keep my secrets."

Harry inwardly cursed at that. But he was dealing with a Dark Lord. She was more than crafty enough to keep what Harry knew to himself.

"You will raise your wand and repeat after me: 'I, Harry James Potter, do hereby swear on my life and magic, to not reveal the secrets of Emily Riddle.'"

He did as she instructed, and felt a wave of cold pass through him. He had officially made an oath to the Dark Lord. She may as well try and put the dark mark on him now. Not that he would agree, if she made such a demand, he was just sulking.

"Its a fairly broad oath, so any attempts to circumvent it will be painful. You won't die, unless someone forces the secrets out of you, but I doubt that will happen."

Of course Emily wouldn't endanger Harry's life in any manner. But what he didn't know, was that as he had not reached the age of 17, magical oaths and bindings were... less than effective on him. It worked that way with all magical folk. Until you were considered an adult, very few oaths could be completely binding. An exception to this rule was obviously the Triwizard Tournament, but that contract was engineered hundreds of years ago to allow and obligate any student to participate above their second year of education. She had told Barty to be certain he did not interfere with that part of the cup's magic. Harry Potter had to be forced to compete to bring about her rebirth.

Still as long as the oath would stop him from willfully divulging information, which it would, it was good enough. If someone really wanted to know about her, and was willing to force him to give said information up, then it was no longer a worry for her secrets, but his safety. Then she would simply kill the perpetrator and whisk him away.

Noticing his slight look of unease, she brought his thoughts to light. "Don't worry about it Harry. The only person who would even think to question you about me is Professor Dumbledore, and he wouldn't press you in that way. Simply telling him you don't know will be fine."

"I'm actually more worried about Snape," Harry said. "He threatened me with veritaserum last year, over some missing potion ingredients. He's the one who would have no trouble pushing the limit of the vow I just made."

"Did he now? Worry not about dear Severus, Harry. I will deal with that bastard soon enough. Tell me, what else has Severus done to you, that you feel was unwarranted." Severus was a sore spot for her. She had no clue where his loyalty truly rested. Before the prophecy she was certain. Until he had begged her to spare that mudblood, Lily Potter's life, when she had revealed that that was who the prophecy mentioned. It was truly a horrible moment of disgust. He paid no heed to Harry or his father, just the mother. She told Severus she would do all in her power to spare the woman, though she had no intentions of doing so. Leaving a family member alive, was leaving a person with a vendetta. Best to wipe out the rest of the Potter line. And so she had tried. And it what one of the few times she failed.

Harry's depiction of Snape's actions did nothing to sway her mind of just who's man the slimy git was. Was he hers, or had he settled down in Dumbledore's camp. He had helped thwart Quirrel years ago, but she had not revealed herself to him. He did, however, keep Harry alive with that counterjinx when she had told Quirinus to kill the boy. He actually seemed to be in the habit of doing things to keep the boy alive, just miserable. Still, the man had protected the love of her life when she could not, he would be rewarded for that. Either a painless death if he had betrayed her, or a gracious welcome when he returned to her.

After Harry was done, they exchanged a few brief words before she surprised him with a blistering kiss, including a well placed grope. He had barely started to respond when she pulled away and told him that their detention had run late, giving him a note and telling him to be on time for her next class.

She then returned to her desk to act busy while covertly watching him gather his bearings before leaving. She couldn't helping licking her lip at the sight of what her flirtations has caused. Soon.

Emily Riddle had a great deal of work to do. A body to retrieve and a letter to write. A conference with Lucius would be in order. She would have to exert every bit of pull with the minister that she could manage with this one. But it would be worth it. Harry would love her gift. And that would be one step closer to loving her.

* * *

Harry Potter awoke three days later to greet the weekend. He had slept quite late as he had no plans, and to his surprise, breakfast was underway. Quickly throwing on some clothes, he used several secret passages from the Marauder's Map to make it to the Great Hall in record time. He entered and couldn't help but feel as the room was far louder than normal. Chalking it up to weekend chatter, he went to find his two best friends at the Gryffindor table. They were absent. Glancing up and down the table, his eyes finally landed on Ginny, whose boyfriend, Micheal Corner, had decided to join her this morning.

"Hey Ginny, do you know where Ron and Hermione are?"

Ginny turned to him, her eyes wide as saucer's. He found this behavior odd, as she hadn't acted too abnormal around him in a good year.

"One moment, Micheal. Weasley family business." And with that, she grabbed Harry by the hand and lead him out of the Great Hall.

"Oh my God, Harry. Ron and Hermione just left the hall a couple of minutes ago to get you. Did you miss them? No matter, obviously you haven't seen the prophet yet, have you? Here, let me get mine out of my bag."

This was all said in a bit of a rush. Her tone was frantic, but happy and Harry had no idea what she was on about. However, the picture on the front page of the paper said it all.

Sirius Black was shaking the hand of the minister, Cornelius Fudge, and both men were beaming. The headline read: SIRIUS BLACK, FRAMED, DEFAMED, BUT FINALLY CLEARED HIS NAME! Harry wasted no time in delving into the article.

Irrefutable proof arrived two days ago into the DMLE office's that the crimes

committed by convicted felon Sirius Black were more than they appeared. The evidence

quickly sparked a debate that escalated before the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, personally

intervened and stated, 'I want the case reopened. If a scion of the House of Black has

wrongfully been imprisoned for over a decade, we must do something immediately.'

The ministry remains tight lipped on what precisely the evidence was, but only a day later

did Sirius Black himself enter the offices of the DMLE, escorted there by none other than

Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.

The specifics are unknown, but in less than a day, the ministry has contacted officials of the

Daily Prophet with the official news. Sirius Black and Cornelius Fudge have both agreed to a

private interveiw in the immediate future to be released as soon as possible.

Other than the single direct quote from the minister, it was almost all completely vague. The details didn't too much matter to Harry though, he could ask his godfather directly. His godfather was free. With a large smile on his face, he whooped, grabbing Ginny round the middle, lifting her up and spinning her around. She laughed with him, his happiness infectious, not realizing they had an audience.

"Hem, hem."

The fake cough startled Harry so much he fell to the stone floor, Ginny landing astride his waste. His back and her legs took the brunt of the landing and then Ginny's bum sank into Harry's gut, winding him further. Ginny was the first to see Professor Hurst, as the woman was in her direct line of sight. She was instantly transported two and a half years into the past. Emmiline Riddle had looked at her with that exact face, before she had lost consciousness. Contempt mixed with disgust. Ginny shot off of the boy under her as though he were diseased. Head down, she muttered, "Excuse me" and dashed off to the staircase. Harry, being as though he just had a hundred pounds shoved into his guts missed most of the exchange, but when he finally tilted his head back to see his professor, his eyes widened at the hate in her gaze.

Looking left and right, seeing no one in sight, Harry dug around for his invisibility cloak in his bag, before handing it to her whispering. "Follow me." He then went towards the dungeons, where he knew of a few secluded areas one could hide from Filch, or just be away from prying eyes. Once properly secluded she whipped off the cloak, but folded her arms on her chest and looked away from him. He was not perturbed.

"What the hell is your problem with Ginny Weasley?"

His question came out angry, and it was not uncalled for. The way she had looked at Ginny was terrifying. Harry's first thought was that Emily had some twisted form of revenge planned for the young girl who had fought her in her first year. One who, though had not bested her, certainly escaped. Harry planned on doing everything in his power to protect every person in the Weasley family. He would make it clear to her now, that the Weasley's had taken him into their home and given him the love that every child should receive from a family. He would make sure she knew that anyone with the last name Weasley was someone she could not touch. He would fight her however he could on this.

"I have problems with any woman who would hold your hand. Any woman you would embrace and laugh with. Any woman other than myself that makes smile." She turned her eyes to him. "I was the one who orchestrated your godfather's freedom. And instead of allowing me to hold your hand, instead of laughing with me and embracing me, YOU TURN TO THAT GINGER SLUT! IS SHE THE GIRL YOU WANT HARRY?!" Her voice had grown to a shout, but she took a shaky breath. Harry was shocked with all the knew information, and was simply unable to speak.

"Do you like red heads, Harry? Because I will cut her from ear to fucking ear and use her blood to color my own. Will you prefer me then? Will you want to touch me then?"

It was the blatant threat on Ginny's life that brought Harry back into action. Gathering his thoughts, he looked to her and said, "Emily, please, calm down. Let's talk."

"Oh, you want calm? I'm calm. I'm as calm as can be, love. But your right, lets talk. Should I kill her first, then start dying my hair, or slit her throat while she breathes so it spills better?"

He could see it clearly now. Everyone had described Voldemort as insane. Powerful and charming, but insane. And he could see the insanity. She had flipped from raging anger to calm serenity. It wasn't even an act either. He could tell. It was in her posture, her tone, everything. Earlier she was all coiled muscle, screaming her head off. Barely a moment later, she was all lax and soft spoken. And yet still talking about the murder of a fourteen year old girl.

"Emily, I love the entire Weasley family. They took me in when I had nowhere to go, and treated me as one of their own. They are as much my family as the ones you took from me when I was a baby. Please, I'm begging you, don't hurt any of them."

Pulling the orphan card on Emily was a little low, but she did murder his parents. She deserved it. Besides he had to manipulate her in any way he could. He knew that if they were actually going to be together, then their entire relationship would be filled with it. They both had some conflicting desires, and Harry knew that at the end of the day, she would be the one more willing to compromise for him than the other way around. The thought curdled his stomach. That's not how love was supposed to work, he knew, but they were a special case. His distaste for her, mixed with the emotions he he didn't like admitting he felt for her, were proof enough of that.

"Family. I wouldn't dream of hurting anyone who considers you family, Harry. But that girl doesn't consider you family. I am a master Legilemens. She wants you half as badly as I do. Which means she wants you more than any other woman on this planet other than myself. Every time she looks at you she's mentally shagging you. I've delved into her memories, Harry. Seen her in the middle of the night, fingers buried inside of herself, moaning y-"

Harry's hand over her mouth stopped her in her tracks. "I would appreciate it if you would show others the consideration you have forced upon me. I won't share your secrets with others, please don't share them with me."

Removing Harry's hand from her, mouth with one of her own, she kept his hand in hers. She said nothing, just delicately running her other hand over his fingers as he interlocked their hands together.

"Look Emily. I promise my interest in Ginny is non-existent. I admit I checked her out a couple of times, but I'm a teenager. I've check out Pansy Parkinson a couple of times. Ginny, she is important to me because she's the family of people who cherish me. As for her own intentions towards me, well, as long as you're in the picture, they won't end well. And not because of you, mind you, but because I won't want to be with anyone else, okay?"

His words soothed her. Eased her mind. The only one he wanted was her. His interest was only in her. That was good. That was perfect. Murder faded to the background of her thoughts, but she made certain that the name Ginny Weasley was on her mental list.

Mind relatively clear now, Emily ran over his words a second time.

"Won't want to be with anyone else, hm, Potter? Don't tell me I've managed to sink my claws into you already?"

"Not like there's much I can do about it. I've seen you naked, we've fooled around. Even been on a date. Well, sort of. And other than your homocidal tendencies, I kind of like you as a person. I would just prefer you don't go crazy like you just did a bit ago. I guess, maybe its the way you interacted with me, when my memories were gone. Your a smashing professor, you know. I feel like I've learned more from your two lessons than four years of potions. Speaking of which, I'm not sure what exactly you did to Snape, but when I walked into his class yesterday, he turned white as a sheet. Don't tell me someone else knows your secrets now?"

"Severus is not aware of my current location, but he did receive a message from me. I've told him to play nice with you or leave Britain. He used to be one of my followers, you know. I'm not certain as to his loyalty now."

"You're not the only one. Ron, Hermione and I are always arguing about that."

She laughed at that. But there was a far more pressing matter that had yet to be dealt with.

"Well Harry. How did you like my 'heartfelt gift'. Did it surpass your expectations? Did you love it?"

At this he stilled. Emily anxiously waited for him to speak. This would signify precisely where in the relationship they were. If he was willing, they were on the right track, but if he still balked, she would have to apply more force. He had a few days to mull it over, come to terms with not only her desire, but even his own. Now, she just wanted him to acknowledge that he was indeed a horny teenager, with a young woman who desperately wanted to embrace him in any manner of lewdness he could think up. And she would do anything he asked. As long as she was finally going to get that physical satisfaction, she would entertain any fetish he had.

"Emily," He started. "I have no clue how you managed to do that. Freeing Sirius went above and beyond what I could have ever expected as a gift. Thank you."

She couldn't help the pessimism growing in her gut. She was sensing a 'but' in there somewhere.

She watched him run his tongue over his lips, likely nervous about turning her down, when he leaned forwards and lightly brushed his lips over hers. She immediately responded, snaking her arms behind him, pulling him flush against her. Opening her mouth, she allowed him the power to exert more control in the kiss, and he took advantage of it. Now fully making out in an alcove in the dungeons, Emily felt the taste of success. And also the taste of Harry, but that was a given considering his tongue had taken up residence in her mouth. Emily wasted no time, she had waited long enough for this. She slid both hands from his back to his front and into his robes. They then moved under his shirt to rub alongside the skin of his back. Harry's hands did not remain idle either, though he held more onto propriety and his hands groped her chest over her clothes. The contact on her breast could have been better, but it was delicious as it was, and she wasn't going to complain. Indeed she even was forced to stop their kiss as she wasn't getting enough air, his touch causing her body to go into overdrive. But they didn't stop for long and were soon lip locked again.

Her hands had worked their way south, into his trousers, and she finally had her hand on the part of him she desired most, when he pulled away from her with a gasp. Still having 'him' in her grip she made to pull him forwards with it, not paying attention to the amount of force she was using. Hearing his strangled yelp, cause her to release him and he fell backwards onto his rear on the stone floor.

He held both hands onto his crotch, making a deep hiss of pain. Letting it all in a 'whew', he turned to her and said, "You can't pull on it like that Emily, not unless you want to tear it off."

Maybe it was her giddiness over finally 'getting some', but this comment set her off cackling. It was loud and obnoxious, but if no one had heard her screaming a few minutes before, they were unlikely to hear this.

"Heh, sorry about that. Is it okay? Are we good to continue?" She approached him offering him a hand to get up, which he accepted. After hoisting him up, he placed a hand between them, something she allowed in spite of her wish to continue.

"Look Emily, I definitely want to continue this. Really I do. But not here. Not three corridors away from the Slytherin common room. Can you meet me tonight on the seventh floor? The tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy?"

She wondered why he wished to wait so long. It was a Saturday, why didn't they just head there now. Still, maybe he wanted to plan something, special for her, or maybe he already had plans. She certainly wouldn't mind going back to her quarters to put on something a little more risque for his viewing pleasure. So she agreed, though they did remain in that secluded area for several following minutes where she eventually managed to get his hand _under_ her clothes. Definitely a highlight, she thought. Kissing him one more time, she whispered into his ear before he left, "I love you."

He stopped at that, and she could feel him panicking. Her connection to him had been thrown wide open in her ecstasy to feel his arousal, and it remained open to feel him now. She couldn't get a good fix on what he was thinking, his mind was all over the place, jumping from one thing to another, before his resolve steeled so suddenly, the thinking was cut off. She could still feel him, just couldn't get any thing else from it. It was as though he had become a master Occlumens. Turing back to her, kissing her cheek, he whispered back, "I know. And I think I might love you too."

She watched him leave, with the largest smile on her face. It didn't matter that she had taken him by surprise. That he had so little time to think about his response he just steeled himself and told her the first thing that came to him. He felt something for her. It was officially there and he had recognized it. Heh, if all of her plans would succeed like this one was, the magical world would rest in her palm far sooner than anyone would ever guess.

A/N: ^_^ I enjoyed this one. Poor Harry, so confused. Must be hard being a hormonal teenager with a Dark Lord tryna get the D from you. What's more is that he trying to understand what exactly he feels for Emily. His memory's are fragmented, little pieces of video that are unaffected by each other. In some memories he has the attractive muggle chatting with him and then attempting to seduce him. In other's its the attractive, but unnerving, teacher who he looks up to. One who wants to teach him great things. Wrap it all up with memories of a Dark Lord who is impersonating both of these other people who tells him she is madly in love with him, I don't really blame him for not knowing what the fuck is going on. I'm the author, trying to place myself in this situation, and I can't imagine being able to tell which way is up, just only being able to focus on getting out, something which Emily doesn't want him to do. So he ends up flowing down the river at her pace, all the while searching for a way out. If only he finds one before he ends up wrapping himself to far into her that he's still willing to take it.

A/N: Didn't proof read this one too hard, just glanced over it, I'll do it later. Also some changes have been made to chapter 9 and chapter 1. That being said, in chapter 1 I had described Emily as fit, and have now included the term lithe. And in chapter 9 I have placed that she is a couple inches taller than Harry without her disquises. Whats more is I scoured the internet lookin for an image that matched up in my head with the Voldemort I've generated and came up with something like this: .coOm/pin/446560119278466886/ remove the three Os and you get what her face is close to. As for her eyes, that took more searching: /products/mystery-red?variant=35448489027 remove the two Os for that. I think that will slip through the filter.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Wham, ninja update. Betcha didn't expect this one, huh? I know its only been a few hours, but I'm not the kinda guy who just sits on a chapter just cause I can. Once again, not really in an editing mood, so I'll go over it real fast and send it out.

Chapter 11

When Harry finally pulled himself away from Emily and sped through the dungeons, he could still taste her on his lips. Quickly ducking behind a tapestry of Delphis the Deranged, he opened a passageway that would take him to the fourth floor. But the important bit was the fact that he would be alone for the walk. He would have time to ruminate on the last thing he said to her.

Love. Did he really love Emily? She had caught him off guard with her declaration, and they were so wrapped up into each other at the moment that had she asked him to marry her, he might've agreed. But he told her he might love her. Harry sat down on the staircase he had been walking up, and placed his head between his hands. God, he was lost right now. He re-examined everything she had done to him, everything she had said. The laughter they had shared as well as the times he had cried in her presence. She would do anything for him, and he knew that was because she loved him. Could Harry say the same? Would he do anything, within reason at least, for her.

He asked himself, 'What if, tomorrow she asks me to run away with her, just the two of us? Would I accept? If she told me she would perish if I let her go alone, I could leave with her. But if it was a flippant decision. A whim, would I still be certain of my choice.'

Harry couldn't answer the question. He couldn't find the answer alone. He needed guidance. He needed someone else to help him muck through the emotions in his heart. And as luck would have it, he had a godfather who he could talk to whenever the need arose. Harry stood, dashing his way up the stairs, reaching the fourth floor, before continuing to his dormitory. For in his trunk, he had a certain mirror. One that would allow him to communicate with Sirius, though he wasn't too sure how.

Once safely in his bed with the fragile looking thing, he close his curtains and tapped the mirror with his wand. He said, "Sirius Black" as though he were instead telling a floo his destination. To his surprise it worked, though not in the manner he thought.

"Whoa now Harry, don't need to sound so serious, that's my job. And namesake. All you have to do with the mirrors is tap them with your wand to open the connection. I guess you heard the news and came to congratulate me yourself?"

And there he was. His face took up the whole surface. Smiling at Harry like a fool. Harry felt a little ashamed at himself for this. His only thought was his own needs when he picked up the mirror, not on his godfather. Had he really been so selfish?

"Hey Sirius, er, well to be honest, no. I called you for some advice. And its something I'd rather discuss in person. It's... delicate. We can use the mirrors if you can't come visit, but..." He trailed off here.

Sirius went a little pale. "Harry, with my knowledge of the Hogwarts castle and grounds, I could be sitting in the common room in ten minutes if the need arose. And that's if I needed to sneak about as a wanted criminal. Now that I'm not, I can just floo into Dumbledore's office, and meet you anywhere you want to talk. But first, please tell me you haven't gotten some witch pregnant."

"Oh, no, no definitely not that. There is nothing to worry about as far as pregnancy goes. Promise." Not right now anyway, he added in his head.

Sirius gained a little of his color back at that, before laughing good naturedly. "Thank heavens for that then. I was worried the first thing I heard from you after I was finally free was that I was about to be a godfather for another little one. Oh, your mother would have killed me, there's no doubt about it. Even if there had been nothing I could've done, she would still kill me."

Harry laughed with Sirius, but his godfather knew the boy's heart wasn't in it. Whatever Harry's 'delicate' problem was, it was very important to him.

"I'll meet you outside Dumbledore's office in a few minutes, Harry. Don't worry, we'll handle this thing together now. Remember, I'm always in your corner. You come first." And with that, the connection closed and Harry tore through the castle to see his godfather as soon as possible.

Ten minutes later saw the two walking around the lake. Sirius had been given a large berth from any students who saw him. Innocent or not, they had heard stories since their childhood that the man was the Dark Lords right hand. They were uneasy in his presence.

After a brief hug and greeting outside the headmaster's office, the two set off towards the lake without a word. Even though they had been walking for a few minutes, everything remained silent. Harry was trying to figure out how to begin and Sirius gave him the time to do it.

"Have you ever been in love, Sirius?"

'So it 'is' a girl problem,' Sirius thought.

"I've had a couple romances back in the day. I thought they came close, if they didn't actually get there."

"What did it feel like?" Harry's voice was soft. Had Sirius not been paying attention, he would've missed it.

"Well, it was pretty wonderful, I suppose. When things got serious," He flashed Harry a smile and continued. "When things got serious, my feelings changed. I started wanting to spend all my time with her. It was fun to hang out with your father and the others, but that didn't have the same appeal that being near her did. I guess it would be fair to say she became my center. I woke up thinking about her, went to bed thinking about her, and spent all the time I wasn't with her, thinking about her. There would be times, when pulling a prank on someone or getting out of a tight spot, where she would fade to the back of my mind, but she would always return shortly after. I know it sounds kind of sappy, but that's probably the best way to describe it."

Harry couldn't help but relate, though he felt it was somewhat different. While all the thing his godfather described did indeed fit how Harry was feeling, Harry felt some differences were obvious. He woke up wondering if anyone had discovered Lord Voldemort had infiltrated the school. He went to bed, hoping she hadn't killed anyone. When he wasn't with her, he worried, because if she decided to do something terrible, he would not be nearby to stop her. But at the same time, he enjoyed her company. He liked talking to her and learning from her. He thought she was beautiful, and as for any other physical attractions... well they were certainly present as well.

"Don't freak out okay, I'm just curious, but when did you know you were ready to have sex with your girlfriend?"

"Hah, I was ready the moment I asked her out, Harry. I was a randy little bugger back then. Would've screwed half the girls in my year, relationship or no."

"So you didn't feel as though there was a certain point? What about there being a time, when she was the only girl you wanted to sleep with?" Finally finding a question that he felt would get him some answers, Harry waited for him godfather to reply.

"Hmm. Well, I guess that hit when I realized I was in love. I suppose there are some correlations between sex and love. I still was physically attracted to the occasional bird or two, but when I knew I was in love, the desire just wasn't there. Not for anyone else."

Harry pondered what he just heard. Did he desire other girls? He still thought Cho was pretty, but now that he knew who the young woman who visited him in his dreams was, his thoughts for Cho were on the back burner. In truth, he hadn't really given the girl a single thought since Emily had allowed him to keep his memories three days ago. And it wasn't like there was much to compare with. After all he had seen Emily without a stitch of clothing, and the most alluring thing he had seen of Cho was her attire from the ball last year. And though Cho had been quite pretty then, the memory didn't hold a candle to Emily's nude body, walking towards him. But did that count? Of course he though Emily was prettier, after all he had never seen Cho naked.

He cut that thought off there. He didn't want to think of Cho naked. And why not, he asked himself. Because he would feel like a cad. Because of the peculiar relationship he had with Emily. He sighed deeply, then dropped to the ground by the lake, casually grabbing a couple of stones and started skipping them across the water's surface.

Sirius sat down next to him, "I can make a pretty fair guess as to whats going through your head, Harry. You've met a charming young lass, and the two of you have been going steady for a while. And your body's urges are getting the best of you. Am I right?"

"Ugh, yes and no. I can't really get into specifics, but we haven't really been going steady, and she is the one whose urges are getting the best of her. Mine are definitely there, just not as consuming."

That didn't sound right to Sirius. A woman pressuring a man for sex? Didn't really happen often. And when it did, there were normally ulterior motives.

"Harry," Sirius started, pensively. "Don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure that this girl is interested in you? I mean, are you certain she doesn't have any other ideas?"

"Oh God, Sirius. She has a lot of other ideas. She has more ideas than I have thoughts in a day."

"Not quite what I meant. This is gonna sound crass, but I'm just gonna say it. Your sure she's not just into you because your the famous and wealthy Harry Potter, right?"

The question came completely out of left field for Harry. He had thought that his fame would inspire jealousy in others, but he hadn't thought of someone wanting to use him for his name. But he didn't have to worry about that. He knew exactly what driving force was behind Emily's actions.

"No need to worry about that, Sirius. I can tell you with full certainty, she wants me for me. She, uh, passed that test with flying colors." Harry threw the last bit in there to assuage his godfather's worries.

"Ah, that's good then. I admit, I was worried there. I don't want you to get your heart broken by some trollop, you know? If your gonna go through heartbreak, it should be the proper kind. A kind that has that bittersweet taste to it."

"I can honestly tell you this Sirius. I don't think I can see myself with anyone else. She's the only one in my future." He didn't bother telling the man, that that was because Emily had just threatened to slit his best mate's younger sister's throat because she thought he fancied her. That Emily was as jealous as she was pretty, and would kill any woman he showed a remote romantic interest in. But to be fair, he truly couldn't see himself with another girl. Emily was a really amazing woman, all craziness aside. Sometimes the things she would whisper in his ear would cause an ache deep in his gut and he wanted nothing more than to push her against a wall and snog her brains out. It was true that his status as a Horcrux had a profound effect on her, but she was beginning to have one of her own on him.

"Well if you truly think that, then you're probably ready for the next step. But Harry," Sirius grabbed his godson by the shoulder, turning him to face him. "You don't have to rush things. I know that the current situation with Voldemort has you on edge, rightfully so, but try and put that out of your mind. I won't let her get to you. And if I fail you again, I will do anything in my power to get you back. Even if I have to take that bitch down myself."

Oh the irony. If only Sirius knew that Emily was already here. That she already had him. That he had tried to escape her, but she had outwitted him, seduced him, and now, he didn't want to go. He would still prefer that she not be in Hogwarts, controlling him like a puppet on her strings, but he would still want to be with her.

But Sirius had no idea what was happening right under the headmaster's nose. And Harry had no way of telling him.

"Thanks Sirius. I really appreciate you being here for me right now." And if Harry had not leaned towards the taller man for a hug, he may have seen the few tears that left the man during their tight embrace.

"I'm always gonna be here for you Harry. Forever." And with that, the two made there way back to the castle.

Emily had wasted the day away grading homework assignments had doing some prep work for the next week's classes. Harry had done exemplary on his essay, and though there were a few grammatical errors, she had no problem in giving him a perfect score. She was disgruntled that his friend, Ms. Granger, had also done work befitting of a perfect grade. She would have preferred him being the only star pupil she had. Not only as a source of her own pride, but because it would be less awkward should someone find out she was giving him some one on one teaching later on. And no, it wouldn't all be secret liaisons. She fully intended to drill some advanced magic into his head while she had him here for the next three years. She would make him great.

As the time wore on, she went to her wardrobe and begain sorting through her undergarments. Nothing really spoke to her as radiating sexuality. Nothing some simple transfiguration couldn't solve however. Now fully outfitted in a Gryffindor styled lingerie, she had hoped it would trigger his arousal better to see her in what he felt to be HIS house's colors, she made her way to the seventh floor. She enjoyed the slight thrill she got when passing by the occasional student or ghost, knowing she had nothing appropriate on under her robes. Thankfully ghosts could only pass though someone, not see through things, otherwise she would've been ousted.

She quickly reached the tapestry he had mentioned, before waiting patiently. It wasn't more than a few moments before the air rippled and he appeared in front of her. She smiled and leaned towards him for a quick kiss, and he obliged.

"A friend of mine told me about this room recently. I asked him about a place I could have total privacy and he told me about the "Come and Go" room." And with that she stared at him as he walked back and forth in front of the wall, eyes closed in concentration, mumbling like a moron. Right before she was about to draw her wand and hex him for wasting her time like this, a door appeared before him. Her eyes widened in shock. This was a room she now recognized. For it was here that she had hidden a piece of her soul. She got a dark pleasure from that. They were about to fornicate in a room filled with hidden objects, one of them holding another precious piece of her soul. She strode right past him, he hadn't even gotten his eyes open yet, and opened the door.

"Where the bloody hell are we?"

For instead of a room of hidden objects, they were in probably the most luxurious bedroom suite she had ever seen. The color scheme was a mix between Gryffindor gold and Slytherin silver and she adored it. The massive bed could've fit four people comfortably, and she knew it would facilitate any need the two of them could have for it.

"Its the 'Come and Go' room. I think Dobby said it also went by the 'Room of Requirement'. The room becomes whatever you need it to be."

Well that explained it. She needed the room as a safe place to hide her Horcrux and so it was. Now Harry needed it as a place she could metaphorically blow his mind, and so it became one.

"Peculiar name for a friend, Dobby. Give him my thanks will you?"

At this Harry couldn't help but laugh at her. Her smile turned to a frown as she didn't like it. It was patronizing. He was laughing at her.

"And what, precisely, do you find so amusing?"

He straightened up, casually walking towards her. "Well my friend Dobby is a house-elf. And I can imagine telling him, 'The Dark Lord thanks your for your service.'" He said the last bit in a weak impersonation of herself, but it did have her grinning. "I just don't see him being to thrilled about it to be honest. House elves don't seem to have a very high opinion of you."

"Ask me for the day when I start caring about the opinion of filth such as house elves, and you will hear an answer along the lines of never." She had said it in a haughty manner, not thinking that Harry had a large heart, and didn't share the views that most magical folk did regarding elves.

"Hey now, that's not fair. Dobby has really pulled through for me. In fact, in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, he stole gillyweed from Professor Snape's storeroom for me. If it weren't for him, you might not even BE alive right now."

If Harry thought he was going to invoke some form of caring from her for house elves, he was barking up the wrong tree. They were disgusting wastes of magic, only capable of performing tasks their master's didn't wish to do themselves. And they were happy to do it. At least they knew their places in life. Unlike the muggles. Still, she decided she would try and think twice before flinging out a cutting hex towards a house elf's neck when she saw one again. The act was a fun past time of hers. It would appear that she was inadvertently indebted to a whole number of things for her resurrection.

"Hmm, next topic please."

Not happy having his views be simply dismissed like that, Harry was reminded that this evening wasn't really his to spoil. He had made a bargain with her and she had pulled through spectacularly. While he had no doubt this would be an amazing experience, he knew that it was more for her. It may have been his first time, but that wasn't the first thought in his mind.

'Wow, I should have asked Sirius for advice on sex itself, not just about emotions. What if I'm shite at this. What if I'm not good enough for her?' The insecurities that he hadn't really thought on started to rain down on him now that the moment of action had arrived. His nervousness compounded and he began to feel a bit lightheaded.

Emily sensed him freaking out behind her. She whirled about, grabbing him by the belt and pulled him into a kiss. His nerves immediately quelled as he sank into her embrace.

"I could feel you almost having a panic attack back there. What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'm a bit nervous, I guess."

"About?"

He took a shaky breath. "Well I've never really done this before. What if I'm terrible? I've overheard some of my dorm mates talking about sex before. What if I finish too fast? What if I screw up? What if you don't enjoy it?" He sighed. "I guess I just don't want to disappoint you."

She smiled at him. This was what she had wanted. This was how a boy should be, when he's about to have his first time with a girl. This was how a real romance should progress. And he was already performing marvelously. She would simply hold his hand through it, metaphorically. And physically.

"Give me your hand." She said, continuing as he did so. "You won't be terrible. You won't be able to finish too fast of screw up, and I certainly will enjoy this." She slid his hand inside her robes, gently moving it down her stomach to her center. Once he was touching her most intimate place, she whispered in his ear, "You can already feel how much I'm enjoying this and we haven't even started. I can assure you no matter how fast you might finish, I'm going to get there first." And with that, she left his hand where it was before kissing him full on the lips.

"Either explore with that hand of yours, or use it for something else. Don't just let it stay still down there." And with that last comment, Emily Riddle finally succeeded in the seduction of Harry Potter.

A/N: Someone asked me about doing the naughty scenes somewhere else, and while I'll prolly try it out, don't get your hopes up for something amazing. My ability in writing romance comes from the romances I've been through in life. Don't really have the... uh... experience in the other department... yeah. Imagine a blind pilot flying a person from Japan to Canada... yeah, its gonna be like that.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: This was the first time I've restructured the plot of the story as opposed to how it came out in my head. In the end I only altered about 8 sentences, but those sentences changed the direction of where we are headed. I felt that in the end, those changes will help the story grow in a better way.

Chapter 12

Harry awoke the next morning with everything in focus. It was a rare thing for him to fall asleep with his glasses on, but by the time he had drifted of, he hadn't managed to take them off. In fact, he was fairly certain that even though he eventually succumbed to sleep, he strongly suspected that the young woman nestled on top of him had continued their play a bit longer. At the very least, he never remembered her stopping.

Either Emily had been right the night before, or she was the best actress he had ever met. He truly felt as though his performance did not disappoint. But her appetite for him was voracious. Whenever things had cooled down to simple kissing between them and he thought they may be drawing the night to a close, she would grasp him in her hand and they would continue wildly. His soreness was a testament to how hard she had pushed him the night before.

She was a bit too rough, he thought to himself. And indeed she had been. There had been several times throughout the night, that had she not been in the middle of making him feel incredible, he would have recoiled sharply in pain when she slammed her body into his, or when she lanced her nails down his back. Still it went without saying that it was a remarkable night, or at least, he thought it did. For no sooner had he tried to move her from on top of him did she stir.

"If the first thing out of your mouth this morning is not, 'That was the best night of my life,' then not only will I be sorely cross with you, I will also be terribly curious as to what the hell you have been up to that could possibly have been better."

Harry laughed lightly, now no longer wanting to get up or remove her from her position. "Emily, that was, so far, the best night of my life. You were amazing, and you made me feel amazing. Thank you."

"Hm, acceptable I suppose. As long as you remain conscious of the fact that the 'so far' part only applies to future nights with me. Though I think you're more than well aware that no other woman will be able to treat you better than I."

She finished with a smirk. Or at least he assume she did. He could feel the turn of her mouth on the skin of his chest. However, at the feeling of her lips on his skin he became painfully aware at both of their current states of undress. And his body reacted in kind. Needless to say, with her position on him, she was instantly aware of it.

"Well, what do we have here?" The actions that transpired over the next few minutes made it so that Harry's greatest morning followed right after his greatest night.

Once Emily's breathing returned to normal, she took a moment to reflect on just what she was feeling. Normally when they touched, her arousal flared and she desperately wanted him, and though the desire was most assuredly still there, it had faded to a pleasant buzzing in the back of her mind. She was also, almost deliriously, happy. She had a feeling that she would feel the same even if she moved outside of their personal bubble, but was unsure of how long it would last. They had been at it for hours last night. She took him to places he had never been before, and in turn was taken to those same places herself. It was all a haze of heat and sweat. Just focusing on what she had felt last night was something akin to hunger. A desire for his body so powerful it made her mouth water. Though she had been burning with that desire for weeks, it had all come to a head last night. And then surged even higher. She had been frenzied. And it was wonderful.

It was during this luxurious feeling of post-coital bliss that she decided to push her luck a bit. Sensually moving her body up his own, she locked her gaze with him, before dipping her head down to capture his lips in a languid kiss. They stayed like that for minutes, before she finally shifted her head, allowing her lips to slide off of his, down his cheek, to his ear. And she once again made her declaration.

"I love you."

He had been uncertain, the day before. His response had not been completely clear. It was acceptable at the time, but she wanted the simple statement returned in full this time.

Harry did not answer right away. He knew what she wanted. Every single time she said those words to him, she would look at him for a response. And he knew that until now, all of his responses to her had been unsatisfactory. At least to her they had been. Harry had felt them all to be fine given the situation she had placed him. She was practically forcing her emotions on him, doing her best to pull those same emotions from his own heart, while trying to hold onto them as well.

But now, things had changed. He had crossed a threshold with her. One that he wouldn't have imagined crossing in the past any time soon. What's more is that he did so with the one person whose actions made his life miserable. Voldemort had murdered his family and sentenced him to be raised by his terrible relatives. Relatives who hated what he was and could never care for him because of it.

But how could he associate that phantom monster with the woman in front of him. Even the laugh he heard was completely different than her horrifying laughter that was present near a dementor. When she laughed at something he would say or do, it was simply a sound of happiness. Not the sound of someone drunk off the feeling of triumph. Not a mad cackle. Yes, he knew she had done terrible things, and would do more in the future, but when she interacted with him, that knowledge didn't matter because when she was with him, she was not Voldemort, she was just Emily.

Hearing her shift about, he could feel her begin to kiss and caress his neck. While it did seem as though she would wait for an answer, she had found something to do during that time. It was right when she had brought her lips back up to his, to take his mouth into her own that he decided he couldn't give her the last little piece that she desired.

"I know."

Emily Riddle had made him a declaration. To be a better person for him. While he knew her intentions were good, he also knew the darkness she held inside of her fractured soul. She delighted in causing pain and misery. While such things may have taken a temporary backseat due to her infatuation with him, he would have to make sure that would be where they stayed. He doubted that she was even capable of change, but he knew he would be able to remain at the forefront of her desires. So he would never leave her, and in doing so, keep her out of trouble. And maybe, one day, he could honestly tell her those three little words with certainty.

The weekend ended on a high note. Harry spent the afternoon with his friends on Sunday. Ron had asked him where he had been the night before, and Harry told him that he had gotten a little castle fever and had wandered out to the grounds, with his map and cloak of course. Hermione had looked at him disapprovingly, but Harry reminded her that he had spent the vast majority of the summer either hidden away at Privet Drive, or hidden away at the Burrow. Now that he was safe within the Hogwarts grounds, they should just let him get out some.

They both nodded in understanding at that, though Hermione told him to mind his sleep schedule. It wouldn't do for him to sleep through classes, well, other than History. The evening was spent in the common room either chatting or playing wizard's chess, before they headed to the great hall for dinner. Right when they seated themselves, a letter appeared on his plate. He picked it up, but before he could open it, Hermione snatched it out of his hand.

"Harry, do you know who this is from?"

"Not really, no. I have a good guess though, why?"

"Because you can't just go touching things that magically appear in front of you Harry. It could be a portkey, or something cursed."

Though Harry knew that Hermione was making a fair point, he was more than well aware that anyone who wanted to transport him somewhere to them, was already very nearby. And after last night, he was more than certain he would go willingly.

"Look Hermione, I know, I do, that there is a threat out there. But like I told you, I have a pretty good idea as to who that is from, and I would really appreciate it if you could let me see it."

And with that, Harry gently took his letter back, keeping his eyes on hers until her turned them to the letter and unfolded it.

'Dear Lover,

Don't worry about anyone else getting their hands on this. Its spelled to appear to be a simple love letter from an anonymous admirer. I charmed your glasses this morning so you will actually be able to read it. Even Dumbledore himself wouldn't be able to read this. Though I wouldn't doubt that he would try to use that crooked nose of his to snoop through your mail. Be on guard around him. I don't like him, but you're already aware of that. Just as I am aware that you do like him. We'll deal with that later. I wanted to tell you again that last night was perfect. And I hope there will be many, many more repeats. Preferably every weekend. I hope you understand the not so underlying message. Fuck me more.

I'm sure by now your face is quite red, which is good, as the sappy love letter this is disguised as is quite mortifying. Feel free to share it with your friends, so they wont be wary of such correspondence in the future. Writing you this letter, thinking about you, helped the day go by as I missed you terribly, even though its only been a few scant hours. I'll still be expecting your performance in class on Wednesday to be exemplary. I want you to be my star pupil, which means you're going to have to work hard to outstrip your friend, Ms. Granger. If you're successful, well, let's just say I will reward you in a way you will be sure to enjoy. By the way, I'm looking at you from the staff table.

With Love,

Emily

As soon as he finished the letter he stole a quick glance towards the staff table and sure enough, her gaze was indeed in his direction. He refrained from staring back, he didn't want to bring any attention to them both. He couldn't deny how much he just wanted to be around her now. It was as though the sex had opened a door inside of him and allowed the vast majority of his apprehension about their relationship out. He still was aware that the road would be hard, but at least now he was sure he wanted to travel down it. He felt a comfort and security around her that he just hadn't ever felt before. If only it weren't that niggling fact that she was an evil witch, literally, he would be blissfully happy.

It was then that the realization once again hit him in the gut. And this time Emily was not around to kiss the thoughts away. He had fallen for someone who was a terrible person. Someone who tortured and killed for fun. Someone who would have no qualms slaughtering countless people, then using the bodies to elevate herself above the rest of the population. Setting the letter to the side, he began to ponder just how he would stop her. Because he would. He would have to. He wouldn't be able to remain with her if she started another war. He didn't want to think about if she had killed a person already during her foray into the muggle world, and it was only the fact that he wasn't positive that he let the thought flow out of his mind.

She wanted power and immortality. That was her desire. The latter of which she was already under the impression she had successfully gained. Now it was the power. And power was so many things to her. She had magical power, and her old moniker held plenty of power in its own right. Most people wouldn't dare say her name, even over a decade later. But did he not have his own power? He felt he was adept in magic, and he had his own money and fame. What if he could convince her that Emily Riddle and Harry Potter had more combined power than Lord Voldemort? Maybe he could dissuade her from a bloody ascent to her desires. They could find a different path.

Harry was quite aware that his inner Slytherin was coming out. He had never really thought ambitious ly before, but now he needed to. At the end of the day he felt Emily was his responsibility. It was his job to prevent the world being in danger from his... what even was Emily to him. She had called him 'Lover' in her letter, but what exactly was a lover, other than someone a person has sex with. He supposed that considering the ring he had given her, coupled with his declaration at the time, he may as well consider them engaged. She certainly wasn't leaving him anytime soon, and he doubted she would allow him to walk away either. He wondered if he asked her what she thought on the subject, what her answer would be. Considering her possessiveness, she would probably jump on the fiance idea and run with it. She'd have the wedding planned for the day he turned seventeen.

He had veered of his original train of thought. It was so easy to do that when his mind turned to her. He allowed his imagination to run crazy when she was involved. But he figured that was simply proving his godfather's words from yesterday correct.

So, long term goal. Placing Emily in a position of power, probably Fudge's position. Keep her occupied. Good Lord, he was practically designating himself as her warden, guard, and husband all at once. And the strangest bit was he didn't particularly dislike the idea of being with her forever. If he were to wake up every morning with her head on his chest like today, he felt he could be very happy.

It was then that he noticed Hermione's fidgeting beside him. He was about to ask what was wrong, but it came to him before he could. His friend wanted to know who had sent him the message, but felt that it might be too nosy to ask outright, and was struggling to decide whether to leave it be or not. He decided to make it easy for her.

"Well that's somewhat embarassing." He then passed the note to her and she practically snatched it away from him again. He watched her eyes quickly scan over the note, hearing her snort a couple of times in amusement.

"That was probably the most heart wrenchingly pathetic bit of poetry I have ever read. Whoever this secret admirer of yours is, Harry, she has no clue who you really are."

Harry could only nod in agreement, as he had no clue what Emily had spelled it for others to read, and if he were to remove his glasses to read it, he wouldn't be able to make out the words.

"What's it about then?" asked Ron. He had already filled his plate and had begun eating. Hermione attempted to hand the letter to him to read, but he made a shrugging motion but didn't speak, but that was more than likely to the spoonful of roast he had just put in his mouth. A moment of chewing later he swallow and replied, "Nah, I don't want to read Harry's private mail. That's just rude, I only wanna know what its about."

Hermione scowled at him, though odds are Ron didn't even realize he had indirectly called her rude. Harry couldn't help but snigger at that, but once again, kept his mouth shut as he had no clue as to what Hermione had read.

"Someone's sent Harry a love letter. A secret admirer. And they wrote the worst poetry I have ever had the displeasure of reading."

"What's this? Ickle Harry's got a secret love interest?"

"That's just too rich. What's there to like in a speckly stick like him?"

"Well I don't know Fred, he can fly pretty well-"

"Oh, that a fair point, George, not to mention those eyes of his. I hear the green makes the ladies swoon-"

"But that's about all he's got."

The Weasley twin's had come up behind them. Fred deftly plucked the letter from Hermione's grasp.

"Oh wow, Harry. This bird's got it bad for you. Worse than Gin, when she was eleven anyway."

At the mention of the youngest Weasley, Harry immediately felt uncomfortable. If what Emily had said was true, then the girl was still madly in love with him. But last he heard, she was dating Micheal Corner. In fact he had seen them together just the other day. How could she have a crush on him, and date another person? It just seemed wrong. Then again, he wouldn't put it past Emily to lie to him to get him to believe in something she wanted him to. He would let the matter rest and not dwell on it. It would be nothing but a waste of his time.

Harry had been so lost in his musings that he failed to notice Fred pulling out a very odd pair of glasses. He placed them on, and once again turned to Harry's letter, before letting out a "Oh ho, clever girl charmed the parchment George. Dear Lov-"

Harry's seeker reflexes came into play before Fred made it through the introduction. After this third bit of manhandling the parchment was quite wrinkled in Harry's hand.

"If its charmed, then I would wager its not meant for your eyes, Fred. Even more so, its not meant for the entire school to hear. Let me see those glasses."

Fred didn't bother removing the spectacles as George reached into his own cloak and produced a pair. Harry made a show of reading the letter through the spectacles before setting the parchment alight in a nearby candle. The twins both made sounds of disappointment at this, clearly they'd been hoping to finish it. Harry thanked them both, returning the strange eye-wear to them, and simply saying that the letter contained a fair amount of perverse statements that he felt uncomfortable sharing, as they had been about himself. He did compliment them on their newest product, asking the two how the lenses worked. But the two simply smiled, and with a wave they both walked off. While the two would probably be willing to tell him in private, they wouldn't be so willing to do so in public.

"If the letter really was so inappropriate, Harry, you should have given it to Professor McGonagall. I'm sure she would've been able to find the student responsible and would've ensured it doesn't happen again."

"Its not that big of a deal, Hermione. Though it was a bit queer, the comments were relatively flattering. Just something I would never want anyone else to see or hear."

Harry couldn't help but internally groan at Emily's sense of pride. Of course she would think that no one could best her. And then a couple of seventh years pull the rug from under her. She needed to understand that her pride would always be her undoing. And with arrogance like hers, well it was a small wonder her head still fit atop her shoulders. He would bring that up with her later. He turned to the food in front of him and began to eat. He had time to plan things. Emily would do her best to remain here with him until he finished his final year. There was no need to rush.

Several weeks passed in a sort of pattern. Harry would attend classes, do homework, and spend time with Emily. They kept up with their weekend rendezvous. Emily loved looking forwards to the hours the would spend together. Harry wasn't opposed to it either. Those times together didn't get better, but in no way did they get worse. Each time was as intense and erotic as the first. At times Harry felt almost like a normal teenager, albeit one with an intensely horny girlfriend. This feeling was shattered on an early November morning, when Harry caught sight of the Daily Prophet's headline.

Mass Breakout from Azkaban Prison

Previous Escapee Sirius Black Brought in for Questioning

Harry left the Great Hall immediately, knowing that Emily had seen him. She would follow. She always did. He went straight to her classroom, and waited for her to arrive.

"I can assume your not happy with me?"

Her question was completely rhetorical, and they both knew it.

"Explain."

Harry gave her no more than that. In a different time, Emily would have put any other person in their place for making such a demand. But her patience with Harry grew in leaps and bounds every moment they spent together. She would rationalize his behavior in almost any circumstance. Either his impudence was a product of a lack of sleep, or maybe he was feverish or even hungry. She'd even blamed a couple of his outbursts on merely being young. He could never truly ignite her anger, therefore it was easy for her to ignore his rudeness then pacify his mood with some pretty words or a kiss. In the back of her head, she was more than well aware that she gave him far more leniency than she would any other, but she felt that if he went out of his way to shower her with his love, she could deal with some teenage moodiness. It was, she believed, a perfect balance in a perfect relationship.

"There should be little for me to explain to you, Harry. I released my followers from their imprisonment. They are safe and sound and are recovering from their years of exposure to dementors."

"Do you honestly think I care if people like your followers are safe and sound? Torturers and bigots, the lot of them. Whats worse is that you know what they are. Why would you even bother, its not like they can help you. Not really. What can they do for you that you can't do yourself?"

"Nothing, of course. But they went to prison rather than denounce me, Harry. I rewarded that faith with their freedom."

"Even though they are awful people?"

"You must know that not all of my followers are criminals Harry. I won't lie to you, some are more... excitable than others. But most are good citizens looking to protect their interests from those who would seek to take them."

"Protect their interests? And how does that fall in line with the followers of yours who tortured the Longbottoms into the permanent Spell Damage ward at St. Mungo's? What interests were they safeguarding with that?"

"Those were the more excitable of my followers. And its not exactly like I was around at the time to stop them."

"Would you have?"

"Frank and Alice were both quite magically powerful and had pure family lines. Had they not been opposed to me, I would have let them be."

"So what, are we all supposed to just lay down and let you have your way? Just let you walk into the Ministry, give you a crown and submit. Damn it Emily, we won't just do that. You claim to be protecting rights, then why don't you extend those protections to Muggleborns. They belong in our world just as much as anyone else."

"What's with all this 'we'. I hate to break it to you Harry, but your not really one of them anymore. You're mine now."

Harry scoffed at her when she said that. "Just because we're together Emily, doesn't mean my beliefs are just going to fall in line with you and your pureblood ideas. In case you haven't noticed, you and I are both Half-Bloods. We aren't really on top of the pecking order."

"I am Lord Voldemort, I will always be the pinnacle of any society's standing." The slip back into her old moniker was a force of habit.

"And that's who you're always going to be, huh, Emily? That's all you really even want. The monster under our beds. The person who murdered my family and countless others."

Harry sat down in a nearby desk. "How do you expect me to love you like this Emily? If anything I confront you about has you reverting back the woman you once were. You talk to me about being better, but tell me, what are you really planning?"

Emily stared at him. Would he ever stop throwing her murdering his parents back into her face? She had thought they had worked past that. Had she not shown him that she was sorry for that? Didn't he know that it was a necessary event and it had brought them together? And what's worse was the fact that he was dangling the one thing she wanted in her face. He still had not said just those words to her. Whenever he did give her an actual response it always held a detractor. I want to love you, I think I love you, I just might love you. But it was never enough for her.

He wanted her to level with him. To throw it all out on the table for him to see. He was under oath, he wouldn't be able to tell others willingly. But how badly would the truth damage things. These past two months had been almost perfect. She wanted to smooth things over in any way. She lightly brushed her wand, thinking that a memory charm would work wonders. But she couldn't. Not anymore. He deserved more than that. The trouble was figuring out just how much.

In the end, Emily decided on full disclosure. She told him that once her followers regained their strength she would raise their banner anew. Hopefully stay away from open warfare. Stick to taking over the political positions required to push new legislation that would ensure the pureblood families remained in their positions of power. Funnel enough of the governments power into the old families, before abolishing the ministry's higher functions and then place herself at the helm of the country.

"So your sticking to politics this time?"

"I tried sticking to politics last time, but some key players, one of them being Dumbledore, caught wind of what I was doing. Started thwarting certain purebloods from taking key positions in the government. Made a point of lobbying for rights that mudbloods didn't deserve. They pushed us so far back we retaliated with force. And it was a far more successful than any previous venture."

"So you would rather not see any bloodshed?"

"Harry you need to understand just who I am. I enjoy hurting others. I am more than well aware its not a nice thing to do. Doesn't stop it from being fun. I love that feeling of power and control when someone lies before me, screaming under my wand. Its almost as wonderful as having you under me, gasping my name. And I do my utmost to control that desire just for you, because I know you hate it. You're too compassionate to overlook that. I understand you completely, don't you see. More so than anyone else ever could or would."

"Hah," He gave a single bark of laughter. "Leave it to you to answer a simple yes or no question with a minute long pile of hippogriff dung. I know you understand me Emily. I get that. And as a matter of fact, I understand you, maybe more than you realize. I know you like to hurt people. And I appreciate you trying not to do that for my sake. I can't expect you to do it for yours, because I know that deep down, you love who you are. I guess now I'm starting to figure out who you are as a whole now. I've been holding on to the memories I had of Emma and Professor Hurst and been telling myself, you're not all bad, because you were them too. I've been tricking myself into believing that there is something worth redemption in you. I guess I never thought that maybe that was never you, just a mask you needed to get close to me. "

"Of course they were masks, Harry. But that doesn't mean our interactions together had no meaning. The desire you felt for Emma, I know you feel that for me. The respect and attraction you have for Professor Hurst, I know you have that for me as well. And my feelings for you have remained steady since the night I pulled my body out of that cauldron. I'll never be a good woman Harry. I've been alive for over seventy years, I know that, but I will always be the best woman for you."

Emily's eye's looked into his own. Right now he hated the fact that she was disguised as his professor, because he didn't wish to see brown eyes. He desperately wanted to see her red irises staring at him. He didn't bother wondering if she was once again trying to fool him with pretty words. He knew she always would. She had all but confirmed who she truly was to him. He just needed space to figure out if he could still handle it. To figure out if he still thought he could stop her and at the same time remain at her side.

Emily was gazing into his eyes, trying to convey every emotion she felt for him. She bent forward to kiss him, but he turned and left. The rejection stung, but she knew he would be back. He was stubborn. He wouldn't let things end this way. Even if he wanted to try, they both knew she wouldn't allow it. She would give him the time he needed to mull things over. Let him get over that hot headed anger he was prone to. This wouldn't be their first argument, but it was undoubtedly their first big one. She could still handle things. Everything was under control.

A/N: Not everything is kittens and rainbows. Emily is still under the impression she can control Harry, and Harry is looking hard for a reason to love her. She only levels with him to lure him back under her thumb, but Harry is now aware of what she is doing. Something's gotta give, somewhere.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: So went on vacation last week. Spent some time with my parents down south. Was all hyped to get some work done... then was like... nah. But I cranked this one out. Also cranked some of 14 out too. So expect that one soon.

Chapter 13

Dumbledore sat down at his desk. He was in a pleasant mood. Then again, he was always in a pleasant mood when the halls of Hogwarts were filled with young students. Dumbledore had not always been the headmaster. He had originally started out as a professor under headmaster Dippet. The work as a professor was more fulfilling than his work as headmaster. It was the direct interaction with the students that made it so.

He had just returned from a meeting with the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. They had all reported in with any information they held about the Azkaban prison outbreak. Not much information had been gleaned, and though that in itself was depressing, it held a glimmer of hope. It meant that Voldemort had lessened her efforts in regards to putting her hands on Harry Potter. While it was terrible that Voldemort was returning to her former strength, he couldn't help but feel that anything that put her focus off of Harry was a good thing. Harry had suffered so much at her hands, and Dumbledore knew that at one point in the future, he would suffer more. It was his duty to lessen and delay that suffering as much as possible.

So even in the midst of the horrible developments, Dumbledore had found his own personal silver lining. He began shuffling through the papers on his desk, searching for the weekly reports all the professors sent his way. He had found himself enjoying Ms. Hurst's reports quite well, as she tended to write in her own acerbic wit.

* * *

To say Emily was in an agitated mood, would be an understatement. Her last class of the day had ended two hours before hand. It had been days since her last conversation with Harry, and that had been held in a classroom setting. Ten days had passed since their argument and Harry had thus far show no signs of capitulating to her side of the dispute. What's more was that he had not shown up last Saturday. She had not felt his touch in days, and this was the cause of her less than blissful mood. She couldn't believe he could ignore his desire for her body. Still, she supposed, his resolve was remarkable for a teenager.

Regardless, if he had no plans to come to her, then she would simply force his hand. Of course she would prefer him to be reasonable, but he had already denied her sex once, and it was Thursday now. If he made no attempt to reconnect with her tomorrow, she doubted he would meet her during the upcoming weekend either. She refused to go that long without him scratching the itch she held for him. She recalled the first time he had attempted to spurn her advances on her.

He had been trying to lecture her on her superiority complex. She had made a small error with her letter to him during his nighttime meal. The Weasley twins had created some device to read through her magical subterfuge. Then in light of her stubbornness, he had attempted to deny her attempts to seduce him right after.

She had clarified the facts for him. She did not have a superiority complex, as that implied that she only believed she was superior. She was simply superior. Occasionally, others could reach her level, as the Weasley twins with their impressive invention, but they would eventually fall back down where as she remained on top.

After that, and a few more open mouthed kisses to his neck, he relented to her. The sex had been quite enjoyable, but he still seemed somewhat reserved about it. She had honestly expected him to return to the issue after their coupling, but he simply pretended as though there had never been an argument. At the time, she had believed that he had recognized her point and instead of agreeing with her openly, had wanted to save face and just drop it. Her ego was inflated enough that she could grant him a small victory in certain places. Had it been anyone else, she would've demanded prostration along with pleas of forgiveness, but her Harry was allowed his follies.

Still, he seemed to hold more tightly to his higher ground in this disagreement. It was unsettling. And it wasn't the fact that he wouldn't give in or that he held his own ideas. Those were things she could handle. She didn't particularly like the idea that he would stand against her on some things, but she could deal with it. What she couldn't accept was this wall he had put between them. He had completely shut her out, and while she knew it wasn't permanent (she hoped), it bothered her that he could do it so easily. He knew that she needed him. Knew it pained her to be away from him. If he was using this as a means to push his own agenda, then it wasn't right.

Her Harry was a good boy. Sometimes naughty, but still a good boy. She wanted him to remain that way, and if he was using their connection like that, then he had either changed vastly or she had been duped. Both options holding zero probability, she came to the conclusion that this space between them served a different purpose. One that was personal only to him. He needed this space to work out some personal demons of his. Demons that she suspected looked just like her.

She should allow him the space to figure things out on his own. That would be the proper course of action for any good partner. But very few things about Emily would ever line up with the word good. She couldn't allow him the possibility of pushing her away. They both knew that she wouldn't allow that. But he could try to run. If the corner she had been backing him into looked to have an escape route, he may take it. If he did run, she could track him down, but it would require blowing her cover. Dumbledore wouldn't be so naive to believe that a student and professor would vanish at the same time, and not suspect a link. More so when the two people were herself, a relatively unknown professor, and Harry Potter. He would call in the cavalry, so to speak, and she would have to play keep away with a very unwilling piece of cargo. A risk she would rather head off in the present.

A detention would give them the one on one time to discuss this. At the very least, she would be able to reaffirm her feelings to him. That would help hold their relationship together. Her priorities were in order now. Relationship first, sex second. Months ago, those two had been reversed, because of the ridiculous cravings she had for him. And while those cravings had in no way lessened, the feelings between them had grown exponentially. So much that they had eclipsed the desire she held for his body.

With a plan in mind, Emily laid her body down onto her bed. It was a place she had yet to be intimate with Harry. If things went well tomorrow, she would rectify that.

* * *

For the past few days, Harry would arrive to his defense classroom well before the bell, but remained outside until the classroom was half full. Minimizing the time she had to talk directly to him. He had been mentally waltzing about their argument for days, looking at it from every angle. Emily was in the wrong. He knew that. He should have gone to Dumbledore, oath be damned. It would be his penance for falling into her traps so easily. For forgetting the monster he knew her to be by allowing himself to be swayed by the pleasures she would subject him to.

But Dumbledore couldn't provide Harry with what he needed. What Harry needed was a miracle. Harry needed to change Emily. Not really change her, per se, but alter her plans at their core. By her own admission, she would do just about anything for him. Even go as far as to alter her plans. She would not change her goal, but anything else, she was willing to negotiate on. For months he had already been thinking of alternatives to her plans. But he had not moved anything out of the hypothetical stages yet. He had been ignorant. Thinking that Emily would just sit on her hands and just focus on him. He had underestimated Emily again, it would be the last time he did so through ignorance.

He had already approached both of his best friends on the matter. Of course he hadn't been completely transparent with them, simply telling Ron that he wanted to know more about pureblood culture, and then went to Hermione about making a study group between the houses. Ron had replied that he would be happy to tell him what he could remember about all the stuffy old lessons his parents had taught him as a child, and Hermione had been overjoyed at his desire to learn. When he insisted that it be a more inclusive group she approved of that as well. Interhouse unity was something she had been preaching for quite some time.

So Harry had move from hypothetical to practical. He would start networking outside of his group of Gryffindor friends. He would learn more about how the pureblood community worked, as it was their minority that seemed to run things. Start making the necessary connections now to eventually make use of them in the future. The first meeting of their study group would begin on Saturday. He made sure to schedule the meetings in the mornings so as not to interfere with his time with Emily, though that had ground to a halt.

He had completely skipped their time together last weekend. He couldn't face her then, not when he was so uncertain where things stood between them. He didn't even know precisely what he felt for her. So he had blown her off, and instead focused on his own set of plans. He missed the sex terribly, but he didn't feel as though he deserved it, and he knew that she didn't. He was in essence, blue balling himself. And he didn't really enjoy it. He wasn't sure as to whether he would meet with her tomorrow or not. It would be great to feel the physical release she was always willing to share with him, but he also didn't want her to feel he was dropping the matter between them.

So lost in his own musings, Harry didn't realize it was time for class to begin. It was only the sound of the bell that alerted him that he was almost late. Quickly ducking into the classroom, he made his way to a seat.

Normally Harry did his best to keep his head bowed during class, easier to not make eye contact with his professor that way. However, he hadn't fully pulled his head from his thoughts and when Emily's eyes found his during her greeting to the class, they both forgot themselves and stared. Fortunately for them both, Emily continued speaking even though she had her eyes trained on him. After several long seconds, she turned to the board behind her, waving her wand to reveal the instructions that were there.

"Mock duels today everyone. From now on, expect a class devoted to this area per month. We will only be using the magics we have covered in class for this. Do not try and get a leg up on your opponent with something unexpected. In the future, there will be fewer constrictions, but for the first time, I want you all on as level a field as possible. The winner will be determined by who is still standing. Parkinson, to the front. You and I will give the class a demonstration."

Harry smiled at that. Emily had told him that Pansy had gotten on her nerves very early in the school year, and she had planned to single the girl out a little bit. While he normally would be more interested in Draco's humiliation, Pansy's was still pretty high on the list. Besides, Draco had been rather tolerable so far this year.

What followed could not be considered a duel, except in the most base definitions. Emily allowed Pansy to fire a spell, before casting a shield spell and then returning fire. The ricochet and timing were perfect and the school girl's shield would inevitably break from the impact of the two spells and she would be struck. Pansy soon tried to up her game, moving around and about, but Emily's spells came at her too fast. She could dodge three out of four, but it was always the one she failed to dodge that had her sprawled over or dancing oddly off balance. Embarrassing.

Emily's patience for Pansy's repeated failures came to an abrupt end. "Well, I do believe you now know what you are to be doing. Pair up and begin. I will be walking around you. Oh, and Mr Goyle, do remember to square off in the same direction as the other students for this exercise. You don't need another visit to the Hospital Wing."

Harry knew Emily would want him to pair up with Hermione. She would want to see him best her, and what's more, have the rest of the class to see him do it too. She wanted him be seen as the best of his year... at least, in her class. Either way, Hermione was probably the best duelist in the room, if not for her knowledge, then at least for her common sense. Hermione had always known the best way to best a curse was to simply not get hit, and she would just as soon duck and weave as she would throw up a shield. Hermione had diversity, and that is what would set her above everyone else.

Knowing that everyone else was aware of Hermione's reputation, Harry doubted he would struggle to ask her first. And it did seem as though everyone felt the need to stay a good distance from her. Even Ron turned to Neville, asking him if he wanted be his partner.

"Hey Hermione. Want to partner up?"

"Hmm, I suppose so."

She was pursing her lips. Knowing his best friend as he did, he decided to give her some encouragement.

"Don't feel bad. No one wants to partner up against someone they know they can't win against."

Hermione blushed at his comment, but didn't contest it. "Right then," was all she said before they lined up parallel with the rest of the class and began. Immediately Harry was on the defensive. Clearly challenging the girl who he had been friends with for four years hadn't been the wisest of options. Just as he knew her, she too, knew him. Had he not been having private lessons with Emily, he would have fallen in the first onslaught of spell fire. But Emily could also throw out curses at a fast pace, and he had adapted to being even faster with his defense. Hermione knew Harry had a knack for defense and felt that it would be in her best interest to take him out early. So she had siezed the initiative.

The new magic they had covered so far had not been very much, but during their month of remedial lessons, Emily touched upon the four previous years of study they should have had. Emily then covered a handful of basics, including: a shield charm, its counter, a shield breaker hex, the stupification charm, and its counter, the ennervation charm. The four spells were the tools of an auror, and likewise, cover in an auror's first week of training, she claimed. Protect your self and remove the enemies protection. Take down your target and revive your comrades. Harry wouldn't bother doubting her word about them being in an auror's training. She had probably fought and killed more of them than any one else alive.

"Stupefy, Penovatum, Stupefy, Protego." Hermione sent out a stunner, sheild breaker, followed by another stunner and then a shield. Had she forgone the first stunner, she would have won, as Harry's knee jerk reaction to the first magic had been a shield, taken aback by his friends speed. As it was, the first two spells ate his shield and his brain registered the beginning of the duel soon enough for him to side step the third spell by a few inches.

After the standard combat spells proved ineffective, Hermione got more creative, digging through several of the spells Emily had gone over with them. She even used the basic knock back jinx they all learned in first year to send a chair at his legs. It was here that she made her fatal mistake. The reason the knock back jinx was rarely used in a duel was that it was a spell that required a upward sweep of your wand. Meaning there was a brief moment where you couldn't cast anything as your arm was normally too far above your head to be accurate. Harry capitalized on this.

No sooner had the spell left her lips that Harry fired off a shield breaker of his own, before touching upon a third year spell Emily had gone over with them a month ago. The stumbling jinx simple caused one to lose the feeling in their legs for a couple seconds. It was hardly a novelty, but it did have a unique benefit. It's wand movement was barely a flick, and the incantation was 'lut'. Meaning you had a spell that could be fired in a split second that would briefly disrupt the opposition. Harry's last spell, being a stunner, caught her when she was flailing about trying to regain balance and the duel was over. Unfortunately for him, he did not have the time to do anything about the chair slapping into his knees, but he had braced himself, and remained standing, though probably bruised.

The fight had lasted hardly more than a minute, but apparently for a duel amongst school children, it was a long one. Everyone else in the room had been watching them. Realizing the unwanted attention around him, he ducked his head and went to revive his best friend. Nearby, Ron said, "Good show, mate," and Harry sent him a nod for the compliment. Once Hermione was back up, Emily approached them both.

"Are you aware of the mistake you made, Ms. Granger?"

"I picked the wrong spell Professor Hurst. I gave Harry too much time to respond."

"Indeed you did. However you were the only student to use their surroundings during the duel, so ten points to Gryffindor for that. Later this year, you will learn a banishing charm from Professor Flitwick, and when the rules are less rigid, you will find that spell serves that purpose better."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Mr. Potter."

Harry couldn't help but look at her now. When he looked to her, he saw her take a deep breath, as though she needed help remaining calm. Which to be fair, he thought, she probably did. He knew that the closer she was to him, the more she desired him. Coupling that with the fact that she hadn't been with him sexually in several days, she might've been more frayed about the edges than she let on.

"Excellent work. Your victory, in the end, came down to speed and knowing which hit you could take. Another ten points to Gryffindor. Now, Mr. Finnegan, I recall telling you to only use spells we have covered in class. Tell me why Mrs. Bullstrode's robes caught fire?"

And with that, she walked away. Harry let out a breath he had not been aware he had been holding. Even in a crowded classroom, Emily was easily able to put his mind in the gutter. During the third of their five private lessons so far, Emily had told him that in a duel between two competent people, sometimes you could only win by knowing what hits you could take and then seize the victory in that brief moment. While dodging is always preferred, spells sent from a moving wand AND a moving body always hand a far less chance to land on a target. After that was the first time she had used her mouth on him, and it was the highlight of the lesson. And it was why his mind turned to it at her comment.

Thankful that the school robes were more than loose enough to hide the evidence of his thoughts, he took his seat along with the rest of the class. After a brief lecture, Emily set them all to writing a small essay on their own duels and their mistakes therein. As Harry was writing however, the ink on his paper swirled suddenly. He jerked backwards and was saved from landing on the floor due to him liking to lock his feet around the desk.

'Great work remembering lesson three.'

He was shocked, and then his stomached churned. The last time he had seen magic like this had been her enchanted diary. Though he knew his own parchment was not charmed that much, he still felt uncomfortable.

'Thanks. When did you charm my parchment?'

'While you all were dueling. It was one of the reasons for this lesson to be honest. Will you be seeing me tomorrow?'

Harry was somewhat stumped at this. Talking to her through writing like this was difficult. He couldn't see the emotions on her face or her reactions to his words. He looked to the front and saw her head was titled down, solely focused on the paper in front of her.

'I'm not sure. I'm still not really certain where things stand between us right now.'

'I can promise you, the only thing I ever wanted standing between you and I was not some argument. Actually the only thing I want standing between us right now is your erection. And I want it directly between us.'

Harry's hand met his face as he sighed deeply. She had the worst one track mind in the world. Did she ever think about things other than what they got into together behind closed doors? He adjusted himself underneath the desk. Innapropriate timing or no, he had throbbed uncomfortably at that last message.

'Saw that.'

This gave Harry pause for a few moments. Had she really seen him fix his... junk underneath the desk?

'You know I wouldn't be opposed to watching you relieve yourself right now. I could cast a very subtle notice me not charm on you. I'll even cast the cleaning spells if you finish before the other students start turning in their essays.'

Wow. Harry wasn't sure if she was just desperate or had just lost her mind. Did she actually think he would be willing to do that with the rest of the class in the room? Suddenly the ink on his parchment expanded and swirled again, before settling on a moving image that was too much for him to handle. A small moving picture of Emily was now on his essay. And she was completely nude. To be fair the image held no color, it was just black and greys pressed together to present this, but it was highly erotic. It was just after thie image had raised a leg and had its hand at its core that Harry whipped the parchment over, his breath coming out a little faster. Yes, she had definitely lost her mind.

'Please. I need you.'

It would seem as though her spellwork would not be defeated by simply turning the parchment. Harry sighed, before writing her a response.

'I'll be there tomorrow.'

And it wasn't more than a few seconds after that that the ink once again expanded, this time covering the entire page. Soon enough the ink faded, leaving a perfectly legible essay in its place. Harry expected that had he not acquiesced to her, the parchment would've remained blank and he would be facing a detention later. That was her style. She wanted to see him tomorrow, and she would do what it took to make that happen. At least now, he would be seeing her on his own terms. Besides, Harry knew she was suffering being away from him, and that was something that would never sit well on his conscience.

* * *

Emily had wanted to pounce on him the moment he entered the class, when the bell rang. She ignored the desire and dove into the lesson, even managing to catch his eye briefly. Parkinson was voluntold to assist her with an example of the mock duels they would be performing, and Emily enjoy meting out some disgrace to the girl. She ended it soon enough before allowing the class to begin as a whole. Over half of the duels didn't last ten seconds as some didn't perform the shield charm correctly while others didn't pump enough magic in them to block oncoming spells. By the time half a minute had passed only one pair remained standing.

Emily felt a wave of disappointment in Harry when she saw Ms. Granger send the chair at his knees. He kept firing spells instead of defending. He would never break her shield and send a stunner out fast enough to connect before she brought out a second shield. And then he rose above her expectations, and he emerged victorious. And once again, she knew how much she loved him. Her pride in him at this moment far eclipsed the pride that any other teacher could hold for a student. This was a pride only a lover could feel for her beloved after he surpassed a daunting challenge. Feeling the heat coiling about her center, she took a breif moment to charm his parchment while everyone watched him revive his friend. She then spoke to the two of them, gave a brief lecture and set them about writing an essay.

She was so desperately in need of release at this moment, that as soon as she sat at her desk, she already had a hand inside her robes. She pretended to be completely focused on the things in front of her all the while stirring herself up for any form of release she could get. She sent him a message with their charmed parchments, congratulating him on remembering lesson three. Hoping his mind would turn to what happened right after. She then asked him if he would be joining her for the weekend and received a less than satisfactory response. Detention was looking more likely then, something her charmed would serve multiple purposes for. She would erase anything he wrote down for the essay and give him detention for his refusal to perform the classwork. Her head may have been facing her desk, but her gaze never left his body in his seat. She saw the moment his robes moved as he touched himself and became thrilled. Was he doing the same thing as she was? One hand continued writing him as the other picked up its pace.

Knowing that he would have a harder time enjoying himself, surrounded by other students, she cast a subtle notice me not charm on him before encouraging him to enjoy himself. She even provided him with an image of herself masturbating on his parchment. The thought of them both manually working towards a climax was driving her crazy, and she was so close. Had she been any less aroused from the circumstances, she would've been terribly unfulfilled. As it was, however, her body started shuddering slightly as she reached the peak at the same moment Harry flipped the parchment over, making it clear that he had no intention to pleasure himself in the classroom with her.

Her first release in days felt wonderful, but was quickly tempered by the fact that he had not joined her. It would have been far better to have seen him doing it as well. Even if it was nothing more than a rapid motion seen through the folds of his robes. Still, just the very idea of it had been very satisfying, and once her vision stopped swimming she saw his even more satisfying response.

'I'll be there tomorrow.'

Never before had a message excited her so much. Though to be fair, few people had ever conversed with her through letters. The only person to ever do so with any sort of regularity was Bellatrix Lestrange. And now had the tables turned on Emily. For with the letters from Bellatrix, it was dear Bella who had sent her amorous and, very rarely, lustful words. But now it was Emily who was sending the lustful correspondences. Emily had never truly considered taking a sexual partner before Harry. But she supposed the closest anyone else had ever gotten before would have been Bellatrix Lestrange. While her follower's letters had never inspired the desired response from her, she did tolerate them and would even read the letters fully before burning them.

But now she could sympathize with Bellatrix. How painful it was to know that one's desires were being ignored by the one who they wanted so badly. And yet Bellatrix persevered. Remained loyal. A woman scorned she may have been, but Bella never allowed her faith to waver. Just another reason among many others as to why Emily valued her so much.

Soon enough students began turning in their short essays at the front and Emily told them they were dismissed. Eventually the only student left was Harry. Something she did not expect considering she knew his essay was done before all the others. Still, she remained in her Professor Hurst's mindset until the last student left, before leaving her desk to sit in the seat next to him. She stayed silent, feeling that it would be best to let him start the conversation.

"I'm not okay with this."

He stayed quiet for a minute after that, but she remained silent, knowing he had more to say.

"You released a lot of very dangerous people back into the world Emily. Killers and torturers and who knows what else. Wanted criminals who can only do your bidding outside the public eye. Servants who can't serve you properly due to the horrible things they've done. I've been working on some things. I don't want to get too into it at the moment, but I want you to know that I don't want you relying on those people. Some of the ones you pulled from Azkaban are just bad eggs. Even if many of your follower's that were sent there were peaceful, and only condemned for having your mark, I know that more than enough of them aren't."

"Fair enough."

She wouldn't contest his point. He was talking to her again. She would likely just roll over and agree with anything he said. What's more, what precisely could a young teenager be working on that could be even remotely relevant to her plans on taking control of the magical world.

"I know what you want. I know your 'goals'." His voice contained some venom on that last one. "I'll do what I can to help you as I see fit, but you have to know..." He turned to her now, once again looking into her eyes. "You have to understand that I won't allow you to suppress anyone. No enslavement or anything. If I help put you in a place of power, I expect you to do the job right. A leader has an obligation to those who follow them. You know that, but a ruler, a government, has an obligation to everyone. What's more is that they are held accountable. I know you consider yourself above others and would never allow yourself to be held accountable for your actions. And your strong enough that it would be nigh impossible for someone to actually do so."

Harry stood up and began walking to the door.

"I need to know that no matter what, you're willing to be a good ruler Emily. I don't need you to be a good person. I just need to know if you are even capable of becoming a queen. Or if you're just always going to be a tyrant. Think on it and tell me tomorrow."

And with that parting statement, Harry Potter went to his next class.

A/N: The games are afoot. Harry has officially taken his seat at the massive chess board that Emily, Dumbledore and the ministry have been playing for quite some time. We are gonna start seeing more of the death eaters. They are free and rehabilitating, so expect Emily to start giving out orders. Lastly, in the HP universe, Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange did knock boots. That's how Delphini came about. If yall have no clue what Im talkin about, go read cursed child. I think its safe to say Bellatrix's devotion to Voldemort was much further down the rabbit hole than just a follower. I have decided to keep that here for a handful of reasons. One cuz I like Bellatrix. Two cuz I still want their to be friction between Harry and Bella later on. Ya know, plot devices. And three, because there will come a time where Emily will have to turn to someone for help. NOT GONNA SPOIL NUFFEN, JUST SAYIN. Laterz.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Not quite the ninja update, but whatever. A couple review and PMs came about mentioning a love triangle between Harry, Emily and Bellatrix. I'm not sure how everyone defines a love triangle, but Bellatrix will be nothing more than a supporting character. She will get some screen time in the sequel, NOT GONNA SPOIL NUFFIN, but she will be to Emily what Albus and Sirius are to Harry. Support. There will be no romantic growth between the two. My world is a Harry/Emily one and its gonna stay like that. Sorry to any multi shippers out there. Emily isn't out to bag and tag all the ass in the HP universe. On with the show.

Chapter 14

Harry left his defense class at an even stride, trying to keep his cool. He had been having a couple long conversation's with Hermione about government. He, himself didn't really know too much about the topic to be able to have his own opinion on the matter, so he decided to cultivate some knowledge. He hoped his words had penetrated his girlfriend's skull. If, at her core, she had any real desire to be a leader, she would understand what he was getting at.

He knew of course that tomorrow she would say what she needed to, to seal the rift between them, and he would accept it and move on. She might even put on a show about it. Crank out a few tears, make it seem believable. And she might even be being honest. But he wouldn't be sure, he would never be able to be certain. He would have to keep an eye on her and an ear to the ground about what was happening in the world. Because Emily would never stop painting a pretty picture in front of him to distract him from what she did behind his back.

He hated thinking that she was such a, well Slytherin he figured. Rather fitting considering she was the heir of the house's founder. Something that she took great pride in if her diary was anything to go by. In any case, he would just have to have 'Constant Vigilance'. Shame that two of the three good defense teachers he had were dark wizards or witches. Technically all three were dark, at least according to the ministry's opinion, but Harry didn't particularly care about the ministry's views.

How easy it would be to walk away. If it were any other girl, Harry fancied the idea that he would've been long gone from the relationship. But the idea had crossed his mind many times, and each time he shut it out. There was probably no where he could be safe from her, except perhaps locked inside a fidelous charm. And though it wouldn't be too terrible to spend a large amount of time with Sirius at headquarters, Sirius had probably had too much of that place to wish to be stuck there again. Even with Harry. No, his place was here, where he could keep trying to put her under his thumb, all the while attempting to wriggle himself out from under her own.

The rest of Harry's classes were mostly uneventful, except transfiguration. He rather enjoyed attempting to change his iguana into a top hat, though he didn't quite get the scaly feel worked out. Night came shortly after and after pumping out a few inches of parchment for one of Snape's essays, Harry went to bed.

Emily slept fitfully that night. Though she technically did not need to sleep, she enjoyed the periods of rest it allowed. Her dreams were disturbing her. Over and over she had dreamed that her plans to acquire the prophecy would end in failure. She was annoyed by that. She already had men in place ready to imperius an unspeakable to pick the thing up for her. It would be in her hands shortly. Her dreams were nothing more than anxiety.

Emily arose early enough that Saturday morning. She had a large amount of things to prepare before returning to the castle before evening. She and Harry normally kept their meetings to the late afternoon or early evening. Not really specifying a time since that first night. If one would arrive before the other, they would idle the time away, him with homework, and her with her lessons. She approached her fireplace, grabbing a pinch of floo powder and with a bark of, "Malfoy Manor", she was gone in a roar of emerald flame.

Dusting herself off as she entered the Malfoy's floo room, yes they had an entire room to serve that purpose, she called for the master of the house. An elf cracked into place beside her.

"Master is in the study, he told Plomus to wait for Ms. Emily here and ask her to join him there. He is very excited to tell miss something."

Emily was quite annoyed by the elf's squeaky voice and was about to break the things neck before a memory assailed her. Harry had said he was quite good friends with a house elf. And that he appreciated the work that they did. With a snarl, she said to the wrinkly being, "If you wish to remain alive, leave my presence at once." And with a horrified whimper and a crack, the elf was gone.

Emily stormed through the house, anger mounting. She was unsure as why she was angry. Not certain as to why the confrontation with the little servant heckled at her temper, but it truly did. Its not as though Harry would have somehow known if she had killed the damned thing. But then she would've felt sort of bad about it. Like she had disappointed him or some such codswallop. Love was as much a greivance as it was a blessing she mused.

She arrived at Lucius' study and opened the door with a false calm.

"Ah, my lord. I have something for you. Your diary."

What she had been expecting, well, it was not this. She looked to where the blond man had been gesturing and saw the ruined remains of her horcux. She strode to the dias he had placed it on and began waving her wand over it. Something incredibly destruction had been her soul fragments end. Whatever it had been tore straight through the magical protections she had place on it and attacked the bit of soul directly. Few things were capable of doing that, even fewer were accessible to a twelve year old boy.

"He must've somehow used my own basilisk against me in some manner. A curious tale it would have been. I'll be sure to ask him about it later," she muttered to herself. Turning the book over in her hand one last time, she placed it inside her robes. She would look into it more later. She and Lucius had more pressing matters to discuss.

"How did the attempt at obtaining the prophecy go? I would wager as though you handed me my old diary instead if it, that you failed me, Lucius. Is that correct.?"

"Yes, my lord. We imperiused Bode, who is an employee at the department of mysteries. Once done, he was instructed to obtain the prophecy and return it to us. All was going well until the moments before he touched the prophecy. He began fighting the imperius. Violently. It is my belief that the prophecies are protected from unauthorized removal. Knowing this, Bode did not wish to fall prey to those protections and attempted to escape the curse. He is currently in the long term spell damage ward in St. Mungo's. I suspect that the only people who can safely place their hands on it are those whom it lists in its description."

"Hm, indeed a failure. Tell me Lucius, how well do you think it would go if I were to enter the department of mysteries and take the prophecy myself?"

"Well I am certain you would be most successful my lord, seeing as you are registered as a member of the minster's department. You have access to most of the ministry and could be in and out by the time they are aware of a break in. Unfortunately, there are many things in the department of mysteries we do not understand. If you were to be delayed long enough, your presence might be revealed and you would be set back. At best, Amelia Hurst would be seen as a foreign infiltrator. At worst, your true identity would be revealed as one of the people of the prophecy."

Lucius had always been a good sounding board for Emily to bounce ideas off of. She appreciated his thoughts on matters such as these. The prophecy would have to be put aside for later. Though she still wanted to know what precisely someone had predicted about her and her lover's futures, it was not worth jeopardizing her present position for. Not yet.

"How is everyone's recovery proceeding? I understand that time in Azkaban is difficult, with full restoration of physical and metal facilities being a slow process."

"Well, most are functioning fairly well my lord. Travers, Mulciber and Davis are struggling the most, but I believe that to be a product of their livelihoods before entering Azkaban. The Lestranges, who have always fervently had faith in you, returned to normal daily activities with hardly any rehabilitation. Dementors can not take faith from a person, just happiness, so their recoveries were expected."

Emily could not help but frown at this. While she was quite happy to hear her most faithful were doing well, she couldn't help but think about Bellatrix. The woman had always been fanatical in regards to her lord, but it was that fanaticism that would probably unearth Emily's newest secret. That she was in love with Harry Potter. While Lucius may have some suspicions on her motives of working in Hogwarts, she had not told him anything concrete and he had known better than to ask. She didn't particularly like the idea of someone knowing of her lover before she felt he was ready to be recognized as such. If Bellatrix became a burden, she decided, she would deal with it as the situation allowed. She had always been more tolerant of certain followers over others, but if Bellatrix forgot her place, Emily would only be mildly disappointed at having to kill her.

"Good news, however I do not wish to be bothered by any of my follower's today Lucius. Keep them out of trouble and allow those who are able to return to their properties. At least the ones that aren't being watched by the ministry. Now tell me, is the slander campaign on Dumbledore still going smoothly?"

They continued in this way for over an hour. Emily would ask the senior Malfoy how her many pet projects were proceeding and Malfoy would answer. One of the reason's she had been so insistent that a break out from Azkaban happen so soon was to lighten the load she had placed on Lucius. He and his wife had been running things on the outside of Hogwarts alone, and the extra hands would make things easier for them.

"That will be all Lucius. Thank you for all of your hard work. Start delegating tasks as you deem fit, but be aware that any failures that are caused by those you delegate tasks to, will also been seen as failures of your own. I am happy enough with the progress we have had so far that a few minor set backs are expected and therefore tolerated. I will be leaving, there are things that I need to see to at the ministry."

Lucius accepted the dismissal with proper pureblood decorum and resumed his work. Emily returned to the floo room to return to Hogwarts, only to use the Hogwarts floo to enter the ministry. It would be best if all records showed she connected to the ministry through her fireplace at Hogwarts. Even if records showed that the Malfoys were her 'family' she wanted to be distant from them in case one of Lucius failure came back to bite him. And once again Emily took the reigns of the minister's department in her hands and had everyone working as per her orders. Then she went to speak with the minister personally.

Cornelius Fudge had wanted her to, well, not teach the students. He had the most idiotic belief that Dumbledore would use the students as some form of standing army. A ridiculous notion, one that she didn't doubt that Lucius had put in his head, that no one else seemed to truly believe other than his most senior undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge. Emily felt that Dolores was the worst sort imaginable. Pompous and brash, with a lack of magical skill and power. At least, not that Emily had seen, and ever since her ressurection, she had an innate sense for magic, so she was fairly certain that this toad of a woman was as useless as they came. Dolores recovered from the jinx Emily had placed on her two months ago fairly well, though if rumors were to be believed, she would sometimes burst into hysterics at select confrontations.

Her meeting with the minister went well enough. She fed him enough truth mix in with lies for him to agree that she needed more authority within the school. He began digging through some old charters and bylaws before finding something that would suit their purpose. Educational Decrees were emergency measures that could be enforced through the school's governers and would bypass the headmaster's authority. The decrees would have to be unanimously approved, but that would be arranged. Dumbledore's stock was falling rapidly, most were attempting to jump any ship that had his name attached to it.

As Cornelius was fumbling about, getting things arranged for the decrees to begin coming into effect, Emily came across a bylaw that she found most interesting. And of course, she told the minister. He had been delighted at the idea and told her that it would be the first decree pushed through legislation. After a few more minutes of her subtle prodding she allowed her meeting with the minister to draw to a close, graciously thanking him for his help. He nodded to her words kindly, though he did not stop writing at his desk, far too eager to put one over on 'old Dumbledore'.

Her next stop was to Diagon Alley for a pleasant lunch and to pick up a few... delicate items. Among them being a sinful looking lingerie set. All black. Harry would love tearing it off of her later. And she wanted nothing more than to see him fervent in his desire for her. It had been days for him, after all. He had to be craving her horribly. By the time she was done at the alley, it was drawing close to three in the afternoon, so she went back to her office and began the necessary paperwork on her end that was needed for the decrees to come about. Finally at half past four, she made her way to the room of requirement, making sure to have her brand new undergarments in place.

Harry had not realized that he would face a hurdle so soon in his plans. The study group could not have been more than fifteen people, all of whom were in his own year. All of them he knew, at the very least their names. But when he thought to himself, alright, time to socialize, he realized he had no clue how to do so. It was then that he came to the horrible conclusion.

'Fuck, I'm socially retarded.'

He shouldn't have been so surprised by this. He had never had to be sociable before. When he met Ron, they had both been nervous and it was only the two of them. They had connected easily because Ron was insecure surrounded by his older family members, and Harry had desperately desired a friend. They had bonded so easily due to a necessity. And as for Hermione, well that had been a life or death circumstance. They had all three tackled a troll. Well, Hermione had been frozen for much of it, but still. And that was it. He had no other friends. Oh sure, he was friendly with people, but he couldn't really point at anyone and tell someone anything important about them. He supposed Hagrid counted, but that was debatable. While he did care for Hagrid immensely, their friendship was different. Hagrid had introduced Harry to the world he belonged in. Hagrid was, in Harry's mind, the beginning of the magical world. Harry trusted Hagrid and would always have Hagrid's back, but Harry had never really confided in Hagrid like he did Ron and Hermione. That simply wasn't the kind of relationship they had.

So as Harry stood pondering how to get to really know all of these new people, he was saved from his newest problem by his very own nature. For everyone wanted to know just who Harry Potter was. But he had a very exclusive group of friends and was very private. And it was as though someone had made it an unspoken rule for people to wait their turn as no more than two or three people would approach him at once. By the end of the two hour study group Harry could safely say he had waded the waters fairly well. Or at the very least, he did his best. And people had seemingly responded to that.

Harry had never seen himself as a celebrity. He had always been just Harry. But everyone else didn't know that. The boy they saw and heard crazy stories about through the Hogwarts grapvine painted an incredulous image. How did he fight off a professor in his first year to protect the philosopher's stone? Did he really slay a basilisk? Do you remember in his third year when he cast a patronus charm at Malfoy? That's some really advanced magic. And don't forget that he won the triwizard tournament with Cedric.

So when he was approached by all these people who had questions about who he really was, he did his best to answer them as well as he could. And slowly the image of the Boy Who Lived faded from their eyes to be replaced with Harry Potter. And the images weren't too far off from one another. For which was more impressive, a baby deflecting a killing curse, something no one could comprehend, or a twelve year old boy going toe to metaphorical toe with a fifty foot magical snake that can kill with its eyeballs.

At the end of the two hour study group, Harry walked away with a few more good friends. People he felt comfortable enough around to speak with openly and they felt the same about him. What was more, was that they would talk about him to their own friends. And these other people may approach him to get to know him and it would continue on in that fashion.

Harry went to the Great Hall for lunch and was somewhat disappointed to see that Emily was absent. But he was soon joined by Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Lavender and Dean, the latter three having become closer to him due to their involvement in the study group. Everything was going well he thought, but he would have to find a way to branch out to the other years. One or maybe more of the clubs the school had could provide that. Hopefully.

After eating, and a few more hours spent with his friends, new and old, Harry took his leave and made his way back up to the Gryffindor dorms. He showered and changed as he normally did every Saturday at around this time, before heading out of the common room and into the hall. He had a date with a dark lord, and she hated to be kept waiting.

Emily had only been within the room for a few minutes at most before the door opened up and Harry had stepped through. Her shoulders dipped in relief, just because he had told her he would be here, didn't necessarily mean that he would. However, instead of pulling himself onto the bed where she was laying, he stopped a few feet short and waited. She studied his face carefully wondering just what precisely he was waiting for before the end of his rant slammed into her from the day before. He wanted to know if she was going to be fair across the board when the world became hers. Or at the very least, not allow prejudices reign to run rampant and give muggleborns basic rights.

She had thought about his words the night before, but hadn't paid the thoughts a moment's notice since then. Her morning had been busy, and she had been formulating more dastardly acts in the future. Still, she doubted he was going to allow their time together to have a 'happy end' if he didn't hear a response he found at least partially acceptable.

Emily had never been one to struggle with words. She was a powerful, charismatic person, and her tongue was solid gold. When words flowed from her mouth people listened and most were awed. The ones that weren't respected what she said enough to go with the flow. It was this attribute, this smooth talking, that allowed her to try and jump this surprise hurdle.

"I know what you're waiting for Harry, and like I have done in the past, I will do now. On Tuesday my actions will speak louder to you than my words will in the present. Take my word on that and come kiss me. I've missed you."

Harry paused, staring at her. It was likely that he had been expecting more platitudes from her. That was how she normally handled him after all. But Emily knew she had to alter how she played the game, if she wanted the game to continue going in her favor. She could adapt just as well as any other creature on the earth that needed to survive. If he started being able to guess her actions, he could be prepared for them, and then he could meddle. And though she did love him dearly, she could not allow him into the sandbox of her affairs. Not yet anyway.

He didn't stay still for long, stepping up to the bed before lowering himself above her but not touching, he spoke. "I can buy that from you I guess. You wouldn't lie to me straight to my face like that." He pressed his lips to hers in a short kiss before separating from her again. "No, when you lie to me, its in twists and turns. Its metaphorical and not quite literal. Hard to call you out on."

Emily rolled her eyes. "I don't lie to you often enough for you to say that, Harry. In fact, I'm far more guilty of not telling you things. And you are more than well aware of why I don't tell you everything."

"You have me under oath. Not like I'm gonna spill the beans."

"True, but I also don't want to put you through the stress of knowing all of my wicked deeds. The only ones I want you privy to are the ones I want you participating in. Something we could be doing now, if your done questioning my integrity." She put a pout on her face with her last sentence.

He laughed at that. "Why would I question you on something we both know you don't have." And with that, their weekend activities resumed their normal pace.

A few hours later, Harry was greedily drinking out of one of the many bottles of water that Emily always seemed to have on her. He was seated at the edge of the expansive bed, whilst Emily was on the other side. She was never satiated it seemed. Every weekend escapade they enjoyed went like this. She would push his body well into the night and sometimes into the morning and he enjoyed every second, even when he started getting sore and uncomfortable.

"So what exactly have you got planned for the school?"

She didn't look at him. He knew by now that if she didn't look him in the eye when he asked her something, it meant he wasn't going to get the whole answer. He doubted she indulged the questions of others very often, so she had never realized that she had formed such a pattern. He was reading her easier every day.

"Oh, a little of this and that. There are going to be some intense changes coming soon, I can tell you that. I hope you'll be ready for them."

"Wow, once again, you suprise me with how many words you can put out that hold absolutely nothing in the way of a response. Thank goodness you don't respond to questions in class like that."

"Haha, funny little Harry thinks he's so cute. Lucky enough for you that I think so too, so I'll let that slide."

"I'm serious, tell me some of your plans. Tell me what you're doing."

She was silent a moment and then twisted her naked body around just enough to catch his face with the corner of her eye. He could admit that he struggled to keep his eyes on her face.

"My plans are varied. Right now my focus is primarily on you and waiting for my followers from Azkaban to be ready to serve me again. I am also trying to steal a prophecy about you and I from the department of mysteries."

At this Harry interrupted her. "Wait, a prophecy? What do you mean? What about?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it. It simply fortells you defeating me when you were a baby. I haven't heard the whole thing and though I am willing to disregard it, I would feel more comfortable doing so after I am aware of its entirety. Now that you are up to date with my plans, lets move this conversation to more pleasant things."

At this Emily twisted full around, pulling her entire body onto the bed, and crawled towards him. Once she got to his body, she seated herself onto his lap, facing him, legs folded at his side. Harry was also unclothed and they were almost perfectly aligned. Though he was still curious about the prophecy she had mentioned, she had other ideas. Slowly but surely she began grinding herself into him all the while looking at him while she once again began talking.

"Tell me, Harry. What's your favorite part of our time in here? What is the one thing I do to you that just blows your mind?"

Harry was sensitive, they had been at this for hours and the sensation he was getting from their contact made breathing a chore. It was between heavy breathes that he gave her an answer.

"I, uh, I really like it when you squeeze me."

"Oh? Tell me, do you mean like this?" And Emily stopped her motions briefly to tightly wrap his body in a hug.

"Not quite. I mean more like at, well you know, the end. You start squeezing me over and over and it drives me crazy."

"Really," She drawled out. "Well I must admit that I do that for my own benefit rather than your own. But I love hearing that you enjoy it so much. Care to take a guess as to what I love the most?"

"I don't think I could even fathom what that could be right now." Everything was so hazy to him at present. He could barely hold onto a thought with how she was pressing against him. He wanted so badly to flip them over so he could do the deed right, but he knew from past experience that if she wanted him to have control, then she'd tell him so. Until then, it was her show. And right now her show was the best kind of torture.

Emily let out a laugh. "My favorite part is this right here. Watching you lose yourself to the sensations I bring to you. Knowing that in this moment I am the only person your thinking of. I am the one person you need more than anyone else." She spoke slowly, every other word accompanied with a motion of her hips. His eyes had rolled back into his head several times now, and he blinked hard trying to keep her in focus. It was all lost with a final thrust of her hips and his eyes were closed as his body momentarily lost the ability to process any other sensation than the one she sent coursing through him.

With that she pulled herself off of him, not minding the mess in the slightest, then seated herself beside him. Harry took a deep breath as he came back down to reality.

"Can't say I don't enjoy that either."

"Even if you did, we'd both know better. Tell me Harry, if I offered to disappear from your life right now, would you take me up on it? Be honest. I won't get angry with you unless you lie to me."

Harry thought her question over. She would always ask him something of a similar vein on the weekends. She had finally reached the realization that no matter how many times she told him that she loved him, he would only tell her when he was ready. So she had been asking him more obtuse questions to appease her self esteem. Anything that he could answer that she could twist around in her head as him telling her he needed her. Most times it was easy to answer her, and he did so, knowing she loved hearing it. Tonight was another easy one.

"No, I would want you to stay." He didn't bother telling her it was because he wanted to keep an eye on her. To acertain that she wasn't up to no good constantly. Because he knew she did it occasionally now, he just couldn't remain near her at all times to prevent every one of her misdeeds. Regardless of what question she asked him, if he replied in the way he wished, she would always say the same thing next.

"Good, because I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Harry." And she wraped her arms around him, one hand turning his head to capture his lips. The process was practically set in stone and he accepted it for what it was. Something she needed to do.

She broke the connection and gave him a sultry look. "I think we have a few more hours together. I want to see if you've gotten any better at using that mouth for anything other than asking me annoying questions." Needless to say, Emily was quite happy that their weekends had found a way to continue.

A/N: I've been thinking that this story is missing something, but couldn't figure out what it was. But I felt like there was interactions between Harry and Emily that I wasn't portraying to you guys. It finally came to me that you guys haven't been getting the pillow talk. Anyone who has been in a serious relationship knows that some of the most intense conversations a person has with their partner are post coitus. When they are most vulnerable around each other. Where insecurities are brought to light. Well in a healthy relationship anyway. After realizing that, I decided to stuff in an interlude between their activities and show you guys. Laterz.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Harry awoke Tuesday morning with a sense of trepidation. Emily had said that today he would get his answer to her question, but she hadn't told if he would like it. He wouldn't put it past it her to actually answer him in a negative way, though he did think it was unlikely. He performed his basic morning ritual, which by now had been perfected over the 4 and a half years of doing it before making his way down to the common room. It was there that he saw a small handful of people around the notice board.

Educational Decree Number One

Amelia Hurst has been elevated to the position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

With this new position she will be evaluating all teachers and their

curriculum to ensure the students are receiving an education that reflects

the Ministry of Magic's standards of learning.

Educational Decree Number Two

The Hogwarts High Inquisitor's authority is only to be superseded by the

combined power of the Headmaster and the Board of Governors.

Educational Decree Number Three

In order to preserve a peaceful learning environment offensive material

may not be discussed or be in the possession of students. This includes any

rumors of the Azkaban escapees and their status as You-Know-Who's

followers and offensive slurs such as the term 'Mudblood'.

After reading them, he understood what Emily had meant when she told him that big changes were coming to Hogwarts. When he finished reading the decrees his anger rose. Did she really think that the ass end of the last education degree was an action that spoke louder than words? As if that were going to prevent anything. He had half a mind to storm down into her office and give her a piece of his mind before he really started thinking about it.

All the common rooms in the school had this notice. Most everyone would have seen it. What's more was that all the teachers would know of it too. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was proof that she was starting. It would take a lot of small steps to find a place where muggleborns and purebloods could exist together, and Emily had taken the first one. It was, he decided, a good enough response to the question he had proposed to her. Maybe Emily did have what it would take to make her dreams into reality. Either way, Harry still had his own part to hold up, whether he would decide to help or oppose her in the end.

* * *

Over the next few weeks Harry would find Emily sitting in on a random class that he had with another professor. She remained relatively quiet in most of them, save for a few questions here and there. In Hagrid's care of magical creatures class however, she had all but called the friendly half giant an idiot. And in Harry's divination classroom, she remain tight lipped, only locking Trelawny with her eyes lips pursed as though she was attempting to unravel any mystery the old woman hid behind her shawl.

Harry wasn't certain as to what precisely she had been doing until Hagrid had told him that he had been placed on probation, stating that Professor Hurst felt he was not teaching the students as per the ministry's standards. He had immediately confronted Emily about that and did his best to start a fight with her on the subject. She just waited for him to get rid of all of his hot air before informing him that, personal dislike for the half giant aside, Hagrid was simply failing to do his job properly. And that if Harry didn't believe her, he should ask his friend Hermione Granger about it. He went to do just that, and to his dismay, Hermione did agree with his lover. Hagrid did tend to focus on creatures that he enjoyed more than the ones he didn't. He then asked Hermione to help Hagrid get his lesson plans on a ministry approved course before returning to Emily with an apology. She accepted on certain conditions and he found himself giving her a few extra minutes of his time. Before leaving, he did manage to extract a promise from her that she would leave Hagrid be if the half-giants lessons started following the ministry's guidelines.

Trelawny soon followed in Hagrid's footsteps and while Harry did ask her what her reasoning behind that was, was told that she thought Trelawny was a fraud. When Harry informed her of a prophecy the woman had made at the end of his third year pertaining to her resurrection, she smiled. And it wasn't the smile he loved seeing. It was the smile she had on when she seemed to be losing it. He guardedly asked her what she was so happy about, but she hushed him and told him to get to his dorm and finish the essay she had assigned him.

Though the thought had stayed with him for the rest of the week, it faded into the background of his mind as time moved forwards. Things had been progressing well so far. While he hadn't officially joined any clubs, he did attend the gobstone's meetings at least one a week, and he attended the wizard's chess club with Ron every other week. The Gryffindor quidditch team did have a match versus Hufflepuff. Harry had performed spectacularly, finding and catching the snitch in just under twelve minutes. The final score had been 190 to 10. Soon enough Christmas break was approaching and during one of their Saturdays together Harry asked Emily if there was anything she wanted as a gift.

"Hm."

She spread her body over the bed, pulling the sheet out from under before draping it over her body. Harry waited patiently, but after a minute had passed, he had to look at her face to make certain she was still awake. She was.

"A gift. I don't really have desires that pertain to anything other than you Harry. What's more, even if I did want something, I wouldn't just wait for Christmas for it, I would get it immediately."

"Is there really nothing I can get you? You honestly can't think of anything?"

"If you truly want to give me a gift for Christmas Harry, then stay with me here at Hogwarts for the break."

"Normally that wouldn't really be a problem Emily. But Sirius already sent me a letter telling me to plan on spending the holidays there. And I told him I could barely wait. He's the only family I have left Emily. I want to spend some time with him."

"Hah, he isn't much more family to you than Draco you know. Your both cousins somewhere along the line. Why don't spend the holidays with the Malfoy family. I could be there for it."

"Not what I meant."

"I know," her tone was dejected now. "I would like to see you at least once during the break. Find a way to sneak into the castle. I'll make sure you get back." Harry was almost shocked. A simple, but honest reply to his request. Would wonders never cease?

"I'll do my best to come see you. It'll probably be at night, so have a vial of pepper up potion on standby for me so I don't spend the rest of the day walking about like a zombie."

"A what?" Emily had never heard of that creature before.

"Er, its like a dead body that's been brought back to life. Likes to eat brains. Kinda slow." Harry struggled with the explanation, not having seen hardly any television at the Dursley's left his knowledge on the mythical beasts lacking.

"Well I'm not too certain about the eating brains thing, but there is a spell to reanimate a corpse. Its a charm, but its considered very dark, though I doubt I have to tell you that. The inferius charm turns a corpse into an inferi, which is as you said is a dead body, though it isn't alive, it just moves and kills."

"Wow, that's just... awful."

"Its an effective tool. I find myself to be quite adept at the charm. I have a hidden lake filled with about a hundred of them, ready to defend the location from intruders."

"I'm not even going to bother to ask why you have a hidden lake. That's just plain weird. Promise that no muggles have been wondering into it?" Harry's compassion was starting to show again.

"Its a location that only magical folk can enter, so no, no muggles. And its quite out of the way, so no wizards should have lost their lives there either."

"Good to know then. Thanks for the impromptu defense lesson." He smiled at her and the sight of the grin, added to his nude physique had her tackling him from the bed to resume their activites. It was only after he had left the next morning that she realized she hadn't asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Not that it really mattered. She knew his likes and dislikes, she would find him something. Worst case scenario, she would just give him a blowjob. He really loved those.

* * *

The Hogwarts express had always been a varied experience for Harry Potter. Either it was taking him to a place he wish to call home or it took him to a place would rather call anything but. For the first time however his destination was neither, and he was eager to arrive. Sirius was the only person Harry had told about Emily, well, partly anyway. And if there was anyone Harry could go to about girls and be comfortable with, it would be his godfather.

Sirius was awaiting his godson's arrival at the platform. And his joy at hugging his godson wouldn't lose out to the joy of any other guardian there to pick up their child.

"Wow I've missed you, Harry. Had a good first term?"

Harry beamed at Sirius as they talked. The conversation was animated but light and Harry was grateful to have Sirius for it gave him a moment that he had never experienced. Once they exited the crowds on the platform, Sirius took Harry's arm and side along apparated them to the doorstep to his childhood home, number twelve Grimauld Place. While Sirius had gone out and purchased another property, unknown to Harry, he took Harry here as this location would also be where his friends would celebrate Christmas. And Sirius did not wish to part his godson from his friends. He knew that the Weasleys had looked after the boy when he hand not been able to and had told Molly and Arthur that he greatly appreciated what they had done for him.

A few hours later everyone in the household found themselves crowded in the home's dining room. Many conversations were going about as everyone enjoyed an exceptional dinner prepared by Molly. However even though everyone was minding there own business and holding their own conversations, each and every single one of them died when Sirius brought up a topic that Harry hadn't expected.

"So Harry, how have things been going with your girlfriend?" It tooks approximately three seconds for the noise level to fall so low one could hear a pin drop. And even though the question had been directed at Harry, it was not him who responded.

"Sirius, Harry doesn't have a girlfriend." Hermione had pushed herself into the conversation while Harry did little more than ponder what he had done to piss fate off badly enough for this to happen.

"He might. Not like we know what and all he does on Saturdays." Ron just had to insert his two knuts in as well. Oh well, as they say, in for a knut, go for the galleon.

"Things have been going pretty well. We had a bit of a spat a couple months ago, but we're moving past it."

"Wait a minute-" started Fred.

"You mean to tell us that you actually started dating that secret admirer of yours Harry?" George chimed in.

"The crazy bird that's been sending you those dirty letters?" finished Fred. The two were loving his embarrassment. He could tell by the Cheshire cat grins on their face. Mischief makers the both of them.

"You know well enough that those so called dirty letters weren't real."

"Hold on now," Sirius interjected. "You mean to say that this girl you've been with has been sending you some risque reading material. Harry you dog, I'm not sure whether to be impressed or horrified."

"Can we not talk about my PRIVATE relationship in an open discussion in front of the entire table?"

"Now Harry, there is no need to be embarrassed. I'm sure the young lady you have been seeing is quite lovely. Why not tell us about her?" It was clear from the look on her face that Mrs. Weasley was about to die from curiosity. Where as the only other female Weasley looked as though she were going to be sick. Harry felt a pang of empathy, once again remembering Emily's words about Ginny. 'She wants you half as badly as I do. Which means she wants you more than any other woman on this planet other than myself.' If that were so, then he didn't want to hurt her any further by dragging this conversation on.

"I know some of you are curious, but I also know that some of you have no interest in the subject. At all. Its something I would prefer only discussing with Sirius. Ron, Hermione, I'll catch the both of you up later." Harry picked up his plate of food and left the dining room.

"Well, I seem to have a knack for sticking my foot in my mouth." Sirius was fairly shocked at Harry. He had never heard Harry take that tone before. It was one that would accept no arguments. He said he was done with the conversation, and that was that. It was over.

"I'd like to be excused as well." And without waiting for a response, Ginny Weasley didn't even touch her plate before leaving the room in a rush.

"Make that two people whose evening I ruined. Way to go, Sirius." Sirius would have continued his very own little pity party, but the others in the room weren't about to let that happen.

"Well Sirius, tell us something. Do you think she is a good girl for Harry?" Just because the first avenue of information had disappeared didn't mean Molly had any intentions of abandoning the subject all together.

"Sorry Molly. I'm afraid I know nothing about the situation. Harry came to me asking about some advice for women, and I gave it to him. The only thing he told me was that he was seeing someone. And even if I did know more, Harry wants it to stay private and I will respect that." And with that Sirius took a leaf from his godson's book, gathering his plate and leaving the room.

Once all affected parties left the room, speculation began to run rampant. Ron and Hermione were pelted with questions about any girl that Harry might be spending more time with, or talking to more than usual. All the gossiping was for naught as neither Hermione or Ron could tell them much about it. When George threw out the idea that the girl must've been Hermione herself, Ron jumped up and hollered at George to shut his mouth. Ron told both the twins that if Hermione said she didn't know, then she didn't know and to leave it at that.

It was Ron's outburst that wrapped the entire thing up. At that point people realized that openly gabbing about the idea and making random guesses was only going to ruffle feathers. However, the topic remained on everyone's mind for the rest of the night. Just who had manage to romance the Boy Who Lived.

* * *

Harry was seated in the room that Sirius had informed him would be his and Ron's. He had told Harry that once summer rolled around and the house was empty, the room would be his alone. Harry remained unaware of Sirius other property or the shouting match that Sirius had held with Albus Dumbledore over where Harry's summer accommodations should be.

Sirius had told the headmaster that there was no reason that Harry would have to return to the Dursleys's, blood wards be damned. Dumbledore had tried to argue the point that Harry only needed to spend half of the summer there for the wards to be effective. That they had saved the boy's life once already as Dumbledore had seen Voldemort in Little Whinging, mere blocks away from Harry's home. Sirius used that point to rally around, however. He claimed that if Voldemort knew of Harry's location, then it was only a matter of time before she worked a way around the wards. She would get to him eventually if he remained there. In the end, Albus looked at the man and told him, "Sirius, you are now Harry's guardian. In the end, it is your decision as to what is best for the boys safety. Whatever you decide, let me know and I will work with you as best I can to ensure he is safe." And that was the end of it.

Harry had barely been seated on his bed for a minute, eating his food, before a knock on the door signaled he had company. He told them to come in, and Sirius poked his head around the door.

"Mind if I join you?"

"It's your house. I can't really stop you."

"Harry, I told you. This is your room. I know Ron's sharing it with you now, but if you ever need privacy from the crowd we're hosting feel free to come up here whenever you need to."

"Thanks Sirius."

"Your welcome. Now about earlier, I'm gonna be honest here. I can't believe you somehow managed to keep a girlfriend secret in Hogwarts. That's quite an accomplishment. It was a struggle to keep Remus a secret back in our days there, and even then, Snape found out. Well, I may have told him where to go to see Remus transform. Not my brightest moment. I had meant to scare the hell out of Snivellus, but I didn't factor in the danger to him. Probably because we all use to hang out during the full moon. I'd started considering him, tame, I guess."

"Wow, that's a bit messed up. I take it seeing as he's alive and doesn't turn into a werewolf that everything turned out okay?"

"Yea, I told your father about it, thinking he would have a laugh with me. Turns out your dad was more level headed than I was. He managed to pull Snape out of the shrieking shack just in time, but not before the greasy git got a good look at the wolf."

"And it took Snape twenty years before he spilled the beans?"

"Nah, Dumbledore told him to keep his gob shut. Don't like the pompous bat, and I sure as hell don't trust him, but at the very least Dumbledore's always had the man on a strong leash. No clue how or why, but it's there."

"I'll take your word for it." Shame that leash didn't make itself known in potions. "Anyway, about my girlfriend, things have been going pretty good lately. She's staying at Hogwarts over break and told me that the only thing she wanted for Christmas was to see me over the holidays. Think you can help me sneak back into the castle at some point?"

Sirius laughed out loud at that. "Sure, but only if I can meet her."

Harry turned his head away from Sirius scratching the back of his head. Of course he wants to meet Emily. Yeah, Sirius would be right chummy with the woman who murdered his best friend. "I don't think she would be happy about that Sirius. She likes keeping the two of us pretty hush hush."

"Well, yeah, but I'm not exactly going to gossip to everyone about her. I just want to meet the girl. How about this, I'll get you in and out of the castle, but you have to at least ask her if she's willing to meet me."

"I can do that. She and I have a way of communicating, so I can ask her later."

"Oh? Kind of like those mirrors?"

"Er, something like that. Just a couple of charmed peices of parchment."

"Nice. Well at the very least you two can stay in touch every day. So, um, how did things progress regarding... that thing we talked about."

Harry's face colored at that. He trusted Sirius, but some things a bloke just doesn't talk about.

"That's kinda private Sirius."

Sirius barked out a laugh at that. "Relax, Harry. I'm not asking for all the sordid details. Was simply curious if you managed to convince her to wait, or if the two of you took the plunge. I'd wager from what you said that the two of you went for it."

Harry, being more comfortable talking about it in only the vaguest sense, opened up a bit. "Yeah, we did. It was amazing. Like, almost indescribable. For both of us."

"Good for the both of you then. You are using protection, right?"

"She has that covered. I asked her about it before, and she told me I was asking a useless question. She wasn't ready to settle down with a kid."

"Kinda sounds like she has given it some thought though. Have you? Can you imagine this girl as the mother of your children?"

"No. I can't," Harry gave a short laugh. "I've tried, but... I just can't see that far ahead. Too much is going on right now."

"I understand that. But remember what I told you Harry. You let us worry about Voldemort. You focus on your studies and keeping your lady friend happy. We'll take care of this."

Sirius stood up, taking both of their empty plates. Before he left, Harry asked him a question that made him stop rigidly.

"Sirius, what do you know about prophecies?"

"Prophecies?" He gave a breathless laugh. "Why on earth would you be thinking of something like that?"

"Never mind. Something that came up in a conversation. Don't worry about it."

Sirius nodded to him and hurried out the door.

As soon as Sirius left the room, he bolted downstairs, only coming to a halt when he reached the fireplace. He stuffed his hand into the pot of floo powder, flinging the substance into the fireplace.

The flames had barely change color before he stuck his head in them.

"Headmaster's office, Hogwarts." When the room snapped into focus, he immediately began shouting for Dumbledore. "Dumbledore! Dumbledore, I need you here please. Hurry up!"

The only response he got was a flash of fire and the disappearance of the Headmaster's phoenix, Fawkes. After hollering for a brief few seconds more, he was about to enter the castle when another flash of fire signaled Dumbledore's arrival.

"Your bird can transport you in Hogwarts? That's bloody brilliant." Momentarily shocked by what he had seen, Sirius was briefly derailed. "Albus, Harry just asked me about prophecies."

"Oh." Was all Sirius got as Albus conjured up a chair and slowly lowered himself into it. After pondering for a moment, he continued, "And what did you tell him?"

"I, well, I panicked. I asked him why on earth he would even be thinking about them. Then he said it was nothing. Just something that had come up in a conversation. Do you think he knows something?"

"It may very well be that he does. As you are aware, only Harry, myself, Voldemort and the seer who gave the prophecy may remove it from its place in the Hall. It would not be too far fetched to think that Voldemort has told her follower's to tell their children to approach Harry on the subject. It is, however, unlikely. I believe that Voldemort might be sending Harry information through their connection in his scar."

"Information? How so?"

"I'm not too certain. Harry's case is... well, unique. Visions or dreams are the most likely avenues such information would take to reach its target. This is all speculation of course, but I have a hunch that its possible for her to do so, if she desired."

"Then lets tell him."

"Sirius, there is no nee-"

"Don't feed me that load of Hippogriff dung Albus. We've made too many mistakes, you and I, in regards to Harry. Both of us. Lets ensure it doesn't happen again. We prepare him as well as we can. I'm not saying he should know the prophecy, especially if Voldemort has access to his head, but he should know that she wants it. And that she might try to get him to take it for her."

Albus bowed his head into his steepled fingers. Had it been any other elderly man, one would think that the poor dear had nodded off. But no, Albus was weighing Sirius's words as best he could.

"Harry almost died last year, thanks to my mistakes and inactions. I swore then not to fail him again. Tell Harry what you feel he needs to know, but refrain from revealing anything that may be jeopardizing to anyone's safety should Voldemort learn of it. I think it best to have Harry begin Occlumency training, I shall begin instructing him in the field once school starts. Once he can defend his mind, we can inform of more delicate information. Agreed?"

"Yes. Thank you Albus." Sirius's face relaxed, they had a plan. "And I don't think I've ever told you this, but thank you for doing your best for Harry over the years. I know it hasn't all worked out well, but I know you've always had his best intentions at heart."

Albus Dumbledore's face held a sad smile at that. "You're most welcome. I have always held young Harry in the highest regard. He is a far better man now than I have ever been or will ever be. I think that it is one of the reasons I have failed him so much. Even though I am aware he can take on any challenge and persevere I am, and will always be, an educator." He was looking directly into the flames now. "But I have also spent much of my time as an educator shielding my students as much as possible. And in almost all of those cases my students flourish. But with Harry, the more I try to hide the horrors of the world from him, the easier they seem to find him. Maybe things would have been different had I always been more open with him."

"They always say its easy to see the past from the present, don't beat yourself up over it. You made some small mistakes Albus. But me? My mistake took me out of Harry's life for twelve years."

"Yes, well as I have said, Harry is a great lad. He will continue to grow in such a manner as he becomes a man. Now, lets go over the finer details of what Mr. Potter needs to know to best defend himself against Lord Voldemort's games."

* * *

Harry awoke in the middle of the night with a mild headache and a dry throat. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When he entered the kitchen he noticed he was not alone. Ginny was seated on the counter top, looking out the window. In order for him to get a glass, he would have to open the cabinet directly next to her head. Confrontation, inevitable.

Harry schooled his features and with a deep breath, entered the kitchen as calmly as he could. He knew she was aware of his presence by the tilt of her head; she had glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

With a quiet, "Pardon me," he had pulled a glass down, and had taken it to the sink, which was on the other side of her thighs.

"Congratulations are in order." In most cases, the whisper would not have been heard, but in the dead of night with no one else around, and their proximity, her words were clear.

"Yeah, thanks." Harry felt as though nothing he said would be right here. So he tried to keep to as few words as possible. He wondered, had Emily never sunk her claws into him, if he ever would have noticed Ginny's feelings towards him. Feelings that he was still uncertain if she had. But the uncertainty was drying up quickly under her tone. Because no one should sound quite so pained when they congratulate another person.

"Is she good for you?"

"No."

His response had been a knee jerk reaction. Though Emily loved and cherished him, and Harry cared for her as well, as a partner, no one could consider her good. Still, not wanting Ginny to get the wrong idea, he continued.

"But I'm good for her. She needs me."

Ginny scoffed lightly at his words. Harry was torn, half wanting to know what she was thinking, the other half already having a good idea, and not wanting the confirmation.

"You would be good for anyone. And other people need you. What's so special about her?"

The conversation was getting dangerously close to things he didn't really want to discuss. God, if Emily were to even know that he had a conversation with another woman that had gotten this deep, she'd be contemplating murder.

"She's an incredible girl, Ginny. I can see that. Just because she may not be the best person out there for me, doesn't mean that she's not the girl I want to be with." He couldn't bring himself to look her in the face. Didn't want to see the emotions her expression would hold. He cared about the entire Weasley family, and just the thought of hurting one of them made his stomach twist. So he remained standing next to her, drinking his water, as they both looked out the window.

"I'm glad that you've found someone to be with, Harry. Even more so that you think so highly of her." Ginny pulled herself off the counter top, brushing her hand across his shoulder as she walked towards the exit of the room. Right as she got there, she stopped.

"But if things don't work out between the two of you, don't get too down. I know of at least one girl who'd love to spend time with you." With that parting comment, she left the room.

For a moment Harry wondered if she was being vague, before shaking his head, knowing that was a stupid idea. 'Probably the most tactful way a girl could confess to a guy who's already taken,' he thought. He hoped that Ginny never remembered this conversation in defense class. What with Emily being a 'master legilemens', she would probably curse the other girl right there in the room. This would be a moment he took to his grave. Even if it was for the simple reason that his girlfriend was a psychopath and he didn't want someone to be hurt by her.

He figured Ginny would find a good guy in the future. Someone who could replace what he was to her. She deserved to be happy. After all the shit Emily had put her through in her first year, Harry couldn't help but think that Ginny Weasley was a fighter. She would make it through this little bit of hearbreak better than anyone else could. And she would be stronger because of it.

Finishing up his glass of water, Harry retreated to his room. He checked the parchment that had once been an essay in defense class that Emily had charmed to allow them to correspond. Still having not receive a reply about his godfather, he laid down on his bed. He had told her that Sirius had wanted to meet with her, knowing that she would probably refuse. He had told her that Sirius would keep the information private, but that didn't mean Sirius wouldn't snoop a bit. And if they were to give him a fake name for her, he might find her out. If they pretended she was someone else, he also might find out. There wasn't really a way for this to actually work, which was why he had already written the thing off.

He figured she would respond at her own pace, before rolling over and trying to get some shut eye. As he drifted off, he wondered what else he could get her for Christmas, other than himself. Sure, she would love seeing him, but shouldn't a good boyfriend get her a real gift anyway? Harry would ask Sirius about it tomorrow. He would know.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Maybe its the lack of direct H/E action here, but this one kinda drags to me. I mean, its gotta happen for the plot and all, but still.

Chapter 16

When Harry awoke the next morning and went downstairs, his godfather was waiting for him outside the kitchen. The man seemed lost in thought, but when Harry approached, Sirius grinned at him.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Well enough, I guess. You?"

"Pretty good, yeah. Listen, there are somethings we need to talk about later today. No rush of course. Go eat breakfast with everyone, but just be ready for it later. It may be the kind of information that's hard to process."

"Yeah, sure thing."

Harry entered the dining room through the kitchen, and sat down at the table beside Ron. Hermione was there next to Ginny, both of them giving Harry a greeting. Ginny was treating him as she had for the past year, no hint at the their discussion the night previous. Harry was glad, he hadn't wanted things to be awkward because of that.

Ron was piling another helping of food onto his plate, while engaging Harry in conversation. "You missed the game on the wireless last night Harry. Last one of the year, mate. Pretty good one too, by the sound of it. Fobb was on fire last night, thirteen saves in a row. That's just incredible."

From there the conversation drifted into the direction of who was in the best postion to win nationals that year. Harry had his money on the Falcons, while Ron figured it was going to be the Tornados. But Ron said the Cannons still weren't out of the running. All they had to do was start winning with a solid three hundred point average per game. Ron completely disregarded the fact that not only had the Cannons not won a game in decades, they hadn't scored three hundred points in a game even longer. But part of being a diehard fan was an unending well of faith. And Ron had plenty of that.

Breakfast that morning was a pleasant affair. It honestly wasn't too much different than how they were spent at school. Just less people. But Harry liked the atmosphere here at Grimmauld Place. While his godfather hated it, Harry couldn't help seeing it as a place he hoped to one day call home. Anywhere was better than the Dursleys, he figured. Though he would keep that thought from Emily. She would have no problem spiriting him away from Privet Drive to her evil lair, of that, he was certain.

Harry paused on his way back to Sirius for a moment of reflection. He had been up for barely an hour and he had thought of Emily off and on constantly. She was practically in every third thought that popped in his mind. Even in the quidditch talk early, he had been constantly telling himself, 'Emily should make a quidditch team with her followers. Maybe then the Cannons could win a game.' Or 'If Emily were to pick a winning team, she'd pick the Bats. They couldn't play a fair game to save their lives, just like her.'

Whatever relationship that they had between them was getting awfully deep. And it wasn't a gentle slope either. It was a massive precipice, one he toed the edge of. If she weren't hell bent on ruling the world, he'd have flung himself off that edge a long time ago. As it were, he still couldn't rationalize just what he felt for her. It was too confusing. Too much was on the line for him to sit down and figure it out. He did his best thinking on his feet anyway. May as well keep pushing forwards, things would clear up eventually.

Harry stepped into the sitting room with Sirius and was surprised to see Dumbledore already seated on a plush armchair. Harry took a seat on a short couch nearby, and Sirius settle himself beside him.

"Hello Professor."

"Good morning, Harry. I'm sorry for interrupting your holidays, but we have some information we would like to share with you in regards to Lord Voldemort."

'Not as much as I have to share with you,' he thought. Out loud, he said, "Sure, what have you found out?"

"Actually Harry, this is something we've known for quite a while. But you said something to me last night that had me thinking. I contacted Professor Dumbledore and asked him about how we should handle it. Do you remember asking me about prophecies last night?"

Harry couldn't help but think he was stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. On one side was his oath to keep Emily's secrets. On the other, he had two people he trusted asking him questions about something that Emily had told him vaguely about. Did it count as one of her secrets? She told him the oath would prevent him from spilling her secrets, but what if Dumbledore noticed that. What if he tried to probe deeper? He would err on the side of caution as best he could.

"Yeah, I remember. Professor Trelawny gave on during third year. It was about Peter helping Voldemort come back."

Sirius gave Dumbledore a side long look. "Yes, well there was another prophecy, not just that one. One from when your mother was pregnant with you. We won't go into specifics, but a copy of the prophecy is deep within the ministry and its protected so that only you, Dumbledore, and Voldemort can get it. We feel as though she may attempt to get you to take it."

"I highly doubt that," Harry muttered. Sirius looked at him curiously and Harry realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud. "She expects a fifth year to break into the ministry and steal something? Just seems far-fetched."

"Hah, don't doubt yourself Harry. No one expected you to win the Triwizard tournament either. But you did. And I know that if you thought you needed to get that prophecy, you would find a way. You're the only person I've ever met who has faced impossible odds time and time again, and always comes out on top. And I've seen Voldemort herself, and Dumbledore is sitting right next to us."

"I had a lot of help with that stuff Sirius. That wasn't just me, you know. I had my friends with me. And I didn't win the tournament, I tied with Cedric."

"Bah, minor details. The point is you haven't lost yet, no matter how bad the things look. If I were a betting man, I'd back you in a heartbeat, in any situation."

"Thanks Sirius."

"Nothing to thank me for. Now about your question, why were you asking about prophecies? Had someone brought it up to you?"

Harry would have to be careful. He would have to lie, but he would need to lie with someone who would corroborate with him. Someone he could contact before they might ask them. Only one person fit that description, and though she would probably want to skin him alive for throwing her under the bus, he went for it.

"I actually brought up the matter with Professor Hurst. I had been thinking if the prophecy I heard in third year had meant that nothing I could've done would have changed things that night. That Sirius was forced to be a victim of fate. That everything that went wrong that night, did so, because there was no other way for it to happen. Basically, if something is prophecized... is it inevitable?"

At this Dumnbledore spoke up, "Harry, prophecies are not set in stone. They can come to pass if certain parties push events in that direction. Peter pushed them with his own escape. And Voldemort pushed events along when she targeted you as a baby. But I can assure you, that of the many prophecies that are inside the ministry, only a scant few have ever been realized."

"In essence, Harry, prophecies only have as much power as they are given." Sirius chimed in.

"Indeed. Now, Harry, I would like to start instructing you in Occlumency when the next term begins. Occlumency is a mental defense. It is useful against mental attacks like Legilimency. Which is the mental probing of ones thoughts and memories. I feel as though Voldemort may use the connection you two share through your scar to send you visions or dreams of the prophecy in order to tempt you into retrieving it. So long as you remain aware of that, you should be able to avoid such a trap. She may tempt you in other ways, so be careful."

His headmaster had no idea as to the ways she tempted him. Once again, keeping his thoughts to himself, he said, "I understand professor, thank you." Now he had more detailed explanation of a legilemens, as opposed to his assumption of it being mind reading. Though it was pretty much the same thing.

"Well, I do believe that covers everything we needed to go over. Do you have any questions, Harry?"

"No sir."

"Then I shall take my leave. Sirius, Harry, I do wish you both the merriest of holidays."

When Dumbledore left the room, Sirius looked to Harry.

"I'll be honest Harry. I expected a bit more surprise from you. I know we told you prophecies aren't really a big deal, but one of this magnitude, between you and a dark lord, well... I guess your made of stronger stuff than I realized. Didn't really even faze you, did it?"

"No, not really." Though he had been fazed when Emily had told him of it earlier. Harry was relieved that he had dodged that bullet well enough, but was eager to get to his room and forewarn Emily of his lie. That way she could back him up. She would probably figure it out if Dumbledore approached her, but he didn't want her backed into that kind of corner, just in case.

"I'm gonna go and wish my girlfriend a good morning, I'll see you in a bit, Sirius."

"Okay." Not wishing to press the issue, Sirius let the boy leave.

Harry ran up to his room and went to his trunk. He never left the parchment out in the open, in case Emily decided to forgo being discreet. Which she often did. There had been several times when he pulled out the parchment, only to read a lewd message from her. That normally meant to either go to her office or the room of requirement. He would check the marauder's map to find out which one she would be at.

She had yet to respond to his question and he was slightly unsettled. If she wasn't talking to him, it probably meant she was busy. But if she was busy, it probably meant she was up to no good. It was her vacation as well, and though she had told him she would spend it at the castle, he doubted she would remain at Hogwarts the entire break. He was certain she was catching up with her followers or something.

Letting out a sigh, he wrote her another short note, before putting the paper away. If she did anything too bad, hopefully he would hear of it. He would give her grief for it later. No sense in ruining his time with the Weasleys and Sirius worrying over things that may not even happen.

"Please just be busy grading papers or something," he whispered to no one. After that, he stood, reorganized his trunk and went downstairs. Maybe he could convince a few people into playing a game or two of exploding snap.

* * *

Emily walked briskly through the halls of Hogwarts. She had been meaning to do a bit of focused wandering for a while now, but she simply didn't have the privacy when the halls were so full. But now, most everyone was gone, and with a disillusionment charm, she was almost imperceptible. Going into the girls toilets on the second floor, Emily cast a revealing charm, and after being certain no one was nearby, she opened the Chamber of Secrets and descended from the entrance, hissing for the opening to close behind her.

Once inside, she proceeded to the antechamber, where the statue of Salazar Slytherin stood. Upon entering she saw her beautiful monster lying dead on the stone floor. She somberly walked up to the massive carcass, laying a hand on its scales.

"Oh you poor thing. I was such a fool to leave that diary in Lucius's hands so long ago. If I hadn't, you would still be with me. But I made a mistake in trusting that imbecile with something so precious and you were the price I paid. No matter, I am wiser now. And there was precious little I could do with such a massive serpent like you anyway."

Emily walked deeper into the room, right up to the monolith of her ancestor. She opened her mouth and spoke in parseltongue. "The heir has returned; welcome me home." With the grinding of stone against stone, another opening appeared the base of the Slytherin's beard.

Emily entered the ancient room, what she believed to be a sort of study for her ancestor. She had spent many hours in here when she had been a teenager. It was here that she had located the ancient rituals that she had placed on her original body. Something that she was not ready to, nor would probably ever be ready to, replicate. Though the blood magic had made her body nigh impervious, it had also robbed it almost completely of sensation. Something that was unacceptable, considering her physical relationship with Harry Potter. Still, there were other rituals, ones with costs that were far more acceptable. But she had no intention of using them on herself.

Once Harry returned from break, she would begin his instruction in the dark arts. She already knew of a fool proof way to force him into learning them, despite whatever protests he might make. He needed to have every edge she could give him, for eventually he would be a target, if only for his association to her in the future. She didn't bother wondering if he would be a target of hers, as that was such an impossible outcome.

Excessive use of the dark arts tore away at one's mind. When she had told Harry about her more, excitable follower's she had meant the ones that were addled by the dark arts. Because make no mistake, the dark arts were terrifyingly addictive. Few could taste that kind of power and control and then simply walk away. And those addictions lead abuse of the arts, which lead to madness eventually. But there were ways to prevent such addictions, one of them being in the old tome before her. A useful bit of magic that one could brew into a potion and consume. She would brew it for Harry, not that she felt he would ever fall prey to the allure of the dark arts, but she would always take the utmost precaution where her lover was concerned. Emily honestly believed that of all the dark lords throughout history, she was the only one who had never succumbed to at least a hint of madness. No, her mind was perfectly intact, despite the amount of the magic she used.

Having collected the items she had come for, she left the room. She still had another stop in the castle. Up in the room where her lover had given her his innocence hid a trove of items. She wanted to check on one in particular, one that held a shard of her soul within it. Now knowing that other beings other than herself knew of the location, she had to make certain it was safe.

The trip was uneventful and the item had remained where she had placed it so many years before. She decided to leave it there, as the place it resided had been effective so far, no need to alter it. Finally making it back to her rooms, she decided to see if Harry had sent her a message. And she was impressed to see that there were in fact, two of them, both wishing her well. Emily couldn't help but giggle to herself, he was such a sweetheart.

Swallowing her mirth, she moved on to the more urgent parts of the message, mainly whether or not Sirius Black could meet her and the lie Harry had told Dumbledore regarding prophecies. What could that boy have been doing? It was possible Harry had laid a trap for her. He had somehow found a way around his oath and given Dumbledore enough information to suspect her. Though she hated to admit it as a possibility, she knew not to underestimate Harry Potter. She had experienced failure that way before.

It was also possible that he had been fishing around for information for her or himself about the prophecy she had told him about. She knew the Order was aware of it, seeing as its leader had been the one to hear it. She had put two and two together and deduced that it had been Sybill Trelawny who had 'seen' the prophecy. She had already put plans in motion to remove the old woman from Hogwarts. Once she left the castle, her follower's would snatch the old woman up and hold her somewhere for Emily's... delicate questioning. That avenue was woefully unlikely as most seers weren't coherent when delivering glimpses of the future, but it was possible, very rarely, to break their minds open and get the pieces. Her poor coworker would be reduced to a gibbering wreck, but that wasn't much different than how the old woman already was. No real loss.

So many things to keep track of. Were she anything short of perfection, she wouldn't be able to keep up. She would play nice with Dumbledore for now, but have her wand ready. Even if it was a risky situation, what choice did she have. Besides, Harry only said the man 'might' speak with her. He may not even bother. But deep down she knew better, Dumbledore would meddle with her life even if he wasn't aware who she was.

As for meeting Harry's godfather. She thought carefully on that. Harry had told her it wasn't a big deal, that she could refuse, but would he have asked her if he didn't want it. Didn't one of the first signs of true love include the desire to introduce your significant other to your family? Maybe Harry was trying to tell her something with his actions, something he had not yet been able to say to her out loud. If that was the case, then she would do whatever it took to meet the man. Obviously she would have to pose as a student. One that Harry wasn't ever seen with, otherwise that could lead to complications down the road.

Emily decided it would be best to pose as a Slytherin, but not one from his year. No Slytherin would admit to dating Harry Potter, even if she was, due to the animosity between the two houses. It would be social suicide. A year above him, or below him. While she was tempted to pick a girl above him, therefore still giving her the mature, older woman position, there were only five Slytherin females in sixth year. Three of which Emily simply refused to wear the bodies of, they were hideous. Of the other two, one was practically mentally damaged and the other was well known for her violent outbursts. It would not do for Harry's godfather to think she was beating his charge. Although, some playful roughness was quite fun.

That narrowed it down to the fourth years. And the choice there was a given. Young Astoria Greengrass was pretty, intelligent and spent most of her time alone. No close friends or confidants, not since she had a falling out with her sister two months ago. The little girl was holding onto her grudge fiercely. Astoria would be the perfect guise for the meeting. Well almost perfect.

Making her way to the Slytherin dorms was easy enough, she had spent seven years there as a child. Getting inside the dorms was slightly more difficult. As a professor, she was allowed to enter the student's dorms, but she would need a reason to do so. After a few moments of pondering she conjured up a glass trinket and placed a bow on it. Proceeding to the portrait and telling the picture that she was there to drop off her cousin's Christmas gift, she gained entry. Once inside she was safe. The Slytherin's, being a crafty bunch, did not have portraits on the walls that may give away any misdeeds so she made her way up to the fourth year girl's dorms.

Once inside, she once again cast a revealing charm to make certain no one was there. Once she was certain that the dorms were empty, she used a summoning charm to summon a strand of the girl's hair. It was that simple. She left shortly thereafter, throwing and shattering the glass ornament into the fireplace.

Once back inside of her own rooms, she wrote Harry a response:

Thank you for sending me a message. I would be overjoyed to meet your godfather. I will do so as Astoria Greengrass, a Slytherin fourth year. I have decided she would be the best choice. Do not screw it up by calling me Emily when he is there. Call me Astoria, Tori or Ria, or some other kind of cute nickname.

It has been terribly lonely here with out you. And I have been quite busy today, meaning the days that I won't be busy will be nigh impossible. Your cruelty knows no bounds. You leave me here, alone, knowing I ache to be with you. But I do it gladly, because I know you are with those you love and call family. And I know that I can not keep you to myself always, I must share you a little bit. Stay away from the youngest Weasley though, I refuse to give her even a moment of your time. Even though I know I have far more of your heart than she does, please allow me my irrational jealousy. I hope you're thinking of me, as I am always thinking of you. Oh, and please do remember that while I am willing to meet your godfather, I am not willing to spend much time with him. Meeting then greeting, then he'll be leaving, so I can tear off your clothes.

P.S. I will handle Dumbledore, thank you for the warning.

There, that should do it. She had meant to tell him to stay away from the ginger slut before he had left, but she allowed herself to be in denial that he was going to be gone for days. She held the magical paper to her chest, as though it could soothe the ache in her chest. She decided she would no longer allow him to leave her for long periods of time. She would take him with her during the summer, kidnap him from those awful muggles, and when next year's Christmas came around, she would just tie him to the bed for the two week break. She could make certain that the only complaints he would make would be along the lines of being too sore to continue.

Finally allowing herself to relax, she laid down on her bed. Though Harry was gone, their separation had not been long enough that she couldn't find release on her own. She rarely ever did so as her lover could provide it for her better, and he was normally close by enough that all she had to do was call and wait for him. But waiting for him would take too long now, and the simple act of writing that letter to him had her all riled up. However, she had barely gotten her robes worked out from under her body before a knock sounded through the door to her chambers.

Emily did not bother wondering who was at the door. She knew. He had a knack for interrupting her when she was trying to get off. Another reason among an ever growing list as to why she detested...

"Albus. What a surprise to see you. What can I do for you today?"

"I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you during the holiday break, but I have a few questions for you. If you wouldn't mind, may I come in?"

"Certainly, right this way." With a flourish she opened the door and welcomed the man inside as though he were an old friend. If only she had a knife in her hand, she would stick it in his neck. Couldn't conjure one up either, he would sense it. Old bastard was almost as sensitive to magic as she was.

"I have a feeling that this may pertain to a delicate subject one of the students brought up to me?" She asked him. While it may be very assuming for her to say that, she was willing to sound a little odd if it got the man out of her room faster.

"Why indeed it does. Young Mr. Potter spoke to you about the nature of prophecies, correct?"

"Yes, he had inquired about whether they dictated the future or showed a possibility."

"Is that so." Dumbledore gave a sigh. "Ms. Hurst, I will be frank with you. Inside the ministry resides a prophecy about Mr. Potter and Voldemort. We have informed Harry of this today, but we have not told him any specifics. It was more to ease our minds that he be prepared should any information about the prophecy come about. I wish to ensure that Harry not be encumbered by any negative thoughts pertaining to it. Such thoughts should not be had by a boy of his age. Should he approach you in the future, while I do not advise you to lie to him, please do your best to put his mind at ease. Harry has troubles in trusting others, he has a very small group of friends because of that, and I feel that it is a good thing that he trusts you enough to talk of his worries."

"I will always be here to aid any student, should they desire such help." Emily replied, hoping that would be the end of it. But she doubted it.

"Yes, of course. Many here on the staff feel the same way. And while most would be willing to be a student's confidant, this student in particular chose you. I just want you to know I appreciate you helping out where you can."

Emily said nothing to him. She was certain that Dumbledore's trust in her was not as great as he was allowing it to seem. Her appointment to the staff by the ministry that denounced him would rub against anyone of his position the wrong way. The true purpose of this meeting probably held no more importance than to tell her that he was aware of what she knew and to make sure she remained quiet on the subject. Dumbledore wanted things to be kept under wraps, and she was sure that the ministry's position on it was similar, as they held onto the hope that her return was little more than fiction. Therefore, as she was supposedly an agent of the ministry, he was here to make sure that their interests remained in line with one another.

She was more than interested in what the old man knew of the prophecy, but to probe into it would be too risky. Or would it. The man had brought it about so blatantly himself. Surely a small amount of curiosity would be acceptable in this circumstance.

"To set his mind at ease, and not lie to him, I would, at the very least, need to know something of this so called prophecy. And as I was an undersecretary to the minister, I am more than well aware that I am unable to access them. I wouldn't ask you to go too deep into the details of something so private, but a vague idea would work just as well."

Dumbledore regarded her critically for a moment. Possibly wondering if she was untrained enough in occlumency for him to take a peak inside of her mind. She had her mind cleared and ready if he dared. Averting his gaze after a few short seconds he gave a little cough, before continuing.

"I am afraid that any of the finer details would indeed be a bit too much. However, the circumstances that prophecy spoke of were in the past and will be present in the future. It is the future that I feel Harry will be more concerned about, as there is nothing it pertains to in the past he can remember."

The old goat literally spouted off half a minute of dialogue and told her nothing. If Harry thought she was good at that sort of thing, he should have to have a long conversation with his headmaster. By now, she was more than over the conversation, and stood abruptly.

"Rest assured, headmaster, I will do all I can to ensure that Harry maintains his peace of mind on the subject of obscure divination. Thank you for accepting me so openly as a part of your staff."

And though it pained Emily to do so, she held out her hand to shake his. Doing so would infer that the conversation was over, and if he were to stay, then he would be overstaying his welcome. A terribly rude thing to do in regards to magical etiquette. When he did clasp her hand in his own, she had to restrain the urge to crush the bones. It wasn't easy.

"I bid you a wonderful vacation Ms. Hurst. Please continue enjoying your time at Hogwarts."

Now that she was once again alone, Emily wanted to continue her activities from before. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she attempted to stoke up that arousal, her mind kept flitting to the little bit Dumbledore had told her about the prophecy. He had said, ' the circumstances that prophecy spoke of were in the past and will be present in the future.' He specifically said, 'that prophecy, and not 'that the prophecy.' That would infer there were more than one. What's more was the bit about the circumstances reemerging. Did that mean that another would be born whom could vanquish her? If so, what would happen to the one held that power now? Was her Harry already destined to die, and she knew nothing of it?

Emily began pacing in her room. The prophecy would have to become a priority again. Harry was safe, so long as he stayed with her or, she hoped anyway, his godfather. But he would not always remain that way. She would have to steal the thing before he returned to his aunt and uncles. Emily strongly believed in fate and prophecies, despite what she had told Dumbledore. And even though she had believed that the prophecy had already been fulfilled, it seemed that the part she did not know was vital. The only one with the power to vanquish her, was under her thumb at the moment. There could not be another. It would have the potential to ruin things.

She had worked herself into a tizzy. She felt agitated and wanted an outlet for her stress. A shame that the person she had for such things had left the castle the day before. If he were with her now, she would feel much better. He would be safe with her, and he could soothe her troubled mind with his body. It was at that thought that her arousal spiked again, and she wasted no time in throwing up an imperturbable charm as well as a silencing charm, before laying back down on her bed. She could finally work some of her stress away.

A/N: So we are on the downhill side of the story. A couple more chapters about the yule break, then a few more leading to the climax and then I'll be wrapping up book one. Lots of misinformation going on here, but that's life in a nutshell. Emily is highly intelligent, but her emotions are still quite volatile (remember the original books) so you're gonna see more psycho moments. It is what it is. Laterz.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I totally forgot about Quidditch... and no one reminded me... -_- But I shall stick it in a previous chapter. Gryffs vs Puffs, Gryffs win. Don't bother looking too hard for it it wont be more than a paragraph or two. And it won't hold any real plot in it.

Chapter 17

Harry awoke early on Christmas day. Normally it was Ron who would shake him awake, but Harry's rest had been fitful and shallow. He had tossed and turned and stayed up well past midnight, and to make matters worse, woke before dawn. Stretching his back until he felt the satisfying pops in his spine, he got up to relieve himself in the bathroom at the end of the hall. After that he crept downstairs to the sitting room to relax on one of the couches. He looked at the decorated tree and wistfully thought if Emily would like the gift he had asked Dobby pick up for her.

Christmas shopping was a difficult thing for Harry to accomplish. He wasn't exactly able to pick up everything at Hogmeade after all. For Ron, he had picked up a encyclopedia on Quidditch plays. While normally Harry would never give Ron a book as a gift, each play had an in depth description as well as moving illustrations. For Hermione, he had picked up some very fancy stationary. It's border was decorated in a rose vine sketch. It was pretty cool looking, if a bit too feminine for his own personal tastes. For most of the Weasleys he picked little trinkets here and there he had found in the village over his visits.

Harry had been overhearing the Weasley twins talking shop one day. They were doing great with their sales in the school, but they were struggling to amass the funds they needed for testing and producing some of their grander schemes. So Harry had interrupted them with a proposition. He offered them the five hundred galleons he had won in the Triwizard tournament last year as early Christmas gift. The two were shocked and told Harry they couldn't accept the amount. To which Harry countered by asking to be their silent partner and investor. The two had approached Sirius about it in the past, as what better an investor than an actual marauder, but had been turned down.

Sirius told them he was unable to access his accounts. He had been able to purchase Harry the Firebolt from his vault years ago, as it was assumed he was in the country. But while his current presence was thought to be overseas, he couldn't make withdrawals of that amount without alerting the ministry's law enforcement that he had returned to Britain. The twins had planned to ask him again now that he was no longer a wanted man, but Harry had beaten them with his own offer.

For Sirius, he wanted something that would wow the man as much as the Firebolt had wowed him in his third year. Sirius was, at heart, a prankster. Harry had only been here for a handful of days, but already Ron had cuddled up with a very life like fake spider, and Ginny had come downstairs with blue hair instead of her normal fiery locks. Harry at first thought about asking the twins for some ideas about prank items, but discarded the thought. Not only did he want to wow Sirius, he also wanted to do for Sirius was Emily had done for him. Give the man a gift from the heart.

Harry had begun to think that maybe his heart had been drained completely by Emily however, as no matter how long he thought about it, he came up with nothing. As a last resort he sent an owl to his old professor, Remus Lupin. As the last remaining marauder other than Sirius (fuck Peter) then Remus knew him best. Remus sent back a reply telling him that Sirius loved nothing more than having his ego stroked. Sirius was a prideful man, and he showed it well enough.

So Harry had asked Remus to get a small picture of the James, Sirius and himself and then Harry asked him to commission a frame saying, 'I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good'. Remus said he thought the gift would make Sirius cry; to which Harry replied that as long as they were good tears, he would be fine with it.

Which only left his girlfriend. What do you get a dark lord like Emily Riddle for the holidays? She was ten times as prideful as Sirius, and Harry was even more skeptical about the gift he would present to her. At first he had debated about something sexual, but that just didn't sit well with him. Sex was almost a physical need to her, due to their bond, and he knew she suffered without it. He didn't wish to give her a gift related to that, because he felt it would be in poor taste.

Harry rolled the idea around in his head for days, even going as far as to ask the woman herself. But the answer she had given him was unsatisfactory, though he would still do his best to give her that too. He started thinking about what she cherished, but came up blank too. All the things she really loved were immaterial. So the perfect gift would have to be immaterial as well. Or... symbolic.

At that he finally had a good idea. In the past, he had given her a ring to signify his commitment to her. The situation had been terse and forced, but it had happened. Now, months later, things between them had progressed and changed, and Harry knew that if she were to ask him for something like that again, he could answer much more easily. While he still could not honestly tell Emily that he was in love with her, he knew that he did care for her. She was many things to him: lover, teacher and confidante. She was someone he trusted with his life, though he'd not trust her with anyone else's. While it was true that she was other things to him, many quite negative, the positives were strong enough for him to push the negativity mostly to the side.

The one thing holding their relationship back was the fact that she had murdered his parents. It was a thorn in his life that would never go away. His childhood had been miserable because of it, and two incredibly good people, according to everyone except Snape and his muggle relatives, were lost to the world. Sure she had tried to rationalize it to him, and to an extent he accepted that. On the day she had told him about the prophecy, she had explained things in detail a few hours later. That the prophecy had been made regarding her death, and she did what she had to do to prevent it. Was she blameless? Of course not, but many others would have done the same thing. He would have to let this go eventually, but it wasn't going to happen during his musings before dawn on Christmas day.

So Emily's gift had been a simple silver band, not unlike a wedding ring (though he avoided gold for that particular reason, lest she get any crazy ideas) and a note reaffirming his decision to remain by her side. She would probably still get some crazy ideas, but he would do his best to make sure she didn't try to plan a wedding over the summer.

Hearing footsteps from above snapped him out of his wayward musings and he turned to see Molly Weasley pass by the room he was seated. Then he heard her pause, before her head poked back into view from the doorway.

"Harry, dear, what are you doing down here?"

"Rough time sleeping, I came down here to relax a bit."

"You could've relaxed easier in your bed, and possibly fallen back asleep, you know." Mrs. Weasley had adopted that motherly tone, and Harry got that rare feeling that at least one person cared for him unconditionally.

"Come on, Mrs. Weasley. You have to know, after fifteen years, that your youngest son snores. If it weren't for the fact that I sleep like a rock with you all, I'm certain I'd wake up every night to it."

"That's true, I suppose. Gets it from his uncles he does. Breakfast will be along shortly. Don't let me catch you snooping in those gifts either. I don't think you would, but I've seen that you're awfully close to the twins these days." She fixed him with an exaggeratedly shrewd look, and he could only grin back at her. She then smiled at him, wishing him a merry Christmas before she went to prepare the morning meal.

Soon the rest of the house was slowly drawn to the dining room by the smells that were wafting through the house. As they passed Harry, some gave a wave, but most didn't even notice him. Eventually Harry joined everyone for the meal.

"Where were you Harry?" Ron asked him as he sat down. The only thing that Ron would put a meal off for would be the presents under the tree, but his mum wouldn't allow that to happen before everyone had breakfast. So Ron hadn't even paid the room with gifts any mind as he lumbered down the stairs in search of food, and had consequently missed Harry.

"Enjoying some quiet time before you lot all woke up."

"Oh come on, mate. I don't snore that loud."

This wasn't the first time Harry had teased Ron good-naturedly about his snoring. "I didn't mean that, I meant when the fifteen people we have in the house would wake up and get on about their day."

"Right then. I suppose that would be a fair amount of racket."

After they'd all had their full of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful cooking, they migrated to the other room and began passing about the gifts.

The Christmas cheer was quite infectious that morning. Harry gave his thanks to everyone present who had gotten him a gift. Harry got the standard Weasley sweater, this year's was still green, but had embroidered snitches and broomsticks at the bottom hem. He got a pocket knife from Sirius, guaranteed to open any lock. Useful for when the charm failed. From Hermione he got a book on rare and dangerous magical creatures. He would've expected the gift from Hagrid to be honest. Ron had gotten Harry a newer, but still used, wizard chess set. Even Ginny had gotten him a pack of Pumpkin Pasties.

The gift giving and receiving was enjoyable, but Harry could not keep his mind from straying. Did Emily get his gift from him yet? He had asked Dobby to leave it in her room this morning. He fervently hoped she liked it. It was a baseless worry, he knew she would like anything from him, and wouldn't even be upset if he hadn't bothered. Christmas didn't really register on her radar, and had he not asked her what she wanted, he would not have been surprised if she even bothered remembering the day.

Everyone spent the next few hours playing various games around the house. Harry was almost through with his favorite wizarding game, exploding snap, when his godfather asked for a word with him privately.

"So I figured that if you were still intent on going to see your girlfriend, then tonight would be as good a time as any. Being Christmas night and all. We can sneak in around eleven I reckon. What do you say?"

Sirius had a large grin on his face. Likely he was thinking of all the times in the past that he, Peter, Lupin and James had crept in and out of the castle as school children. To him it would be an excellent way to remember the good times, when his friends were all still alive and happy.

"Sound's good, I'll let her know a when and where to meet us."

"Right. I'll let Dumbledore and Molly know you and I will be stepping out tonight. They won't like it, but at the very least, if Molly knows you will be gone, she won't go ballistic if she sees an empty bed."

"What are you going to tell them we'll be doing?"

"Well that's not really any of their business now, is it?"

Harry chuckled at that, nodding his head in agreement. It was about time people stopped dictating his life. Not that much could be done about his girlfriend. She was determined to rule over every aspect of his day, for however many days he had left.

Harry went off to join the rest of his friends after sending a quick message to Emily. He even told his owl to go to Hogwarts. Emily would understand that once she saw Hedwig, it would mean that she had a message from him. Things would work out well enough.

Soon, evening was upon them, and everyone was shuffling off to either their rooms for sleep or lounging near the fire, talking. Noticing Sirius motioning to him from the doorway, Harry bid goodnight to his friends and told them he was going to spend some time with his godfather. They wished him another merry Christmas and he departed.

"You got everything you need with you, Harry?"

Harry nodded at his godfather. He was curious as to how they were going to get to Hogwarts, but he didn't ask. He just hoped it didn't involve a portkey. As the two stepped outside into the hallway and towards the front door, it opened, and in walked a young woman with shocking purple hair in large spikes. Harry had his wand halfway out of his robes when Sirius gave the woman a greeting.

"Nymphadora, welcome back."

The woman in question got so far as huffing at him before trying and failing to march towards him. Her left leg collided with a rather hideous looking troll leg statue and she fell head first over it. Sprawled face down on the floor, she mumbled, "One of these days, I'm giving you some of the twin's two ton tongue toffee and will then enjoy a few minutes of blissful silence as your tongue swells too much to speak."

"As graceful and kind as ever. Harry, this is my cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers others to use her surname. As I am family, I can not help but use her full first name. A force of habit, unfortunately."

"Bollocks, you're damn well capable of saying my last name easily enough, you just choose not to. It's cuz you're an ass."

"At least I'm not the one on my hands and knees right now." Looking to Harry, he stage whispered, "Lass will trip over air, best be wary round her. Wouldn't be the first time I've seen her fall over a person."

"Oh, bite me Sirius."

Harry had yet to fit a word between them, but at this he was able to introduce himself. The young woman was brushing herself off, while nodding her head to his greeting and saying, "I think we all know who you are. And my dear cousin has already given my name away. If you don't want a kick to your bits, use my last name."

"Of course, Ms. Tonks."

"None of that tripe either. Just Tonks. Making me feel as old as my mother over here."

"Sure thing Tonks."

Sirius chose not to linger, giving Harry a slight push towards the door. Once they were free of Grimauld Place, Sirius asked for his arm, told Harry to brace for an uncomfortable bit of travel. Harry, assuming apparition, took a deep breath and they winked out of existence.

The two reappeared outside of Hogsmeade. Harry was a little more than nervous. If anyone had asked him who Astoria was, or what she looked like, he would've been stumped. Thankfully Sirius was just as in the dark as he was, so he hoped Emily would make it obvious. If he were in luck, she would look like her sister Daphne and he would see the bright blond hair. Harry frowned, he didn't really fancy blonds.

As Harry and Sirius made their covert entry into the castle grounds from Hogsmeade, he wondered what would happen if they got caught. With Sirius being in his animagus form and him under his invisibility cloak, the worst case scenario would be someone claiming they saw a large black dog roaming the halls. Not too bad. They should be able to meet Emily easily enough without any obstacles. That way she could get her 'longer than she really wanted' introduction, and then when Sirius left them alone, she could have her alone time with him.

Sirius would come collect him before dawn the next morning. When Harry had implied to the old marauder that he wished to spend time with his girlfriend in private, Sirius just gave him a pensive look before sighing and reminding him to be safe. Harry was certain most parents wouldn't be happy to hear that their children were sexually active, no matter their age. As Astoria was a year younger than him, he was even more certain that his godfather would not be happy once he knew. Harry was terribly apprehensive on it, and was hoping things didn't spiral out of control. He almost wished Emily could've just picked a seventh year and at least he would've dodged that bullet.

Still, things were already in motion. He would have to do as he always did, and tackle things head on.

Popping out of the Whomping Willow, they made their way to the ancient castle.

The school was practically deserted. Which made sense, seeing as everyone was on break. They made their way all the way up to the seventh floor, occasionally having to avoid the random ghost and Sirius even managed to sniff out Mrs. Norris. Harry had to stop the animagus from chasing after the flea bitten beast, telling him he could torment the thing later.

Finally, they arrived at their destination, and Harry realized that his worries were all for naught. What with the school being empty, and this hall normally being deserted anyway, the young blond girl standing in front of them was obviously Astoria Greengrass. With one more reminder to call her Tori, he wondered if he should greet her with a kiss, as he would normally do with Emily, but he realized how off putting the thought felt. He had no desire to place his lips on any one of her personas other than her own. And Astoria looked very young to him right now, and he cringed inwardly. If even he felt like this now, there was no telling how his godfather would react.

Pulling the cloak off of him, he gave his girlfriend a 'surprise' hug from behind. He knew that she could sense where he was due to their connection. No worries about a hex in any case. She sunk into his embrace, whispering, "I've missed you."

Sirius remained seated in his canine form. His senses were enhanced, and though his intelligence did take a bit of a dip, he was more than cognizant of what was going on. This girl... this child had been pressuring his godson into activities that she shouldn't even be aware of. When Harry had come to him for advice weeks ago, he had assumed the girl in question was older. At the very least, he thought she would be the same age as him. But this girl barely looked 14. Sure she was a pretty girl, but this situation was growing more and more unsettling. Also, she smelled... odd.

Sirius was just about to transform when his brain finally caught up with him. She was a pureblood. He knew that pureblood culture ran a little differently, seeing as he had been raised that way as well. It was even more different for women. A pureblood woman knew that her job was to produce an heir to continue the line. After an heir was born, a young woman had more options in the world, but until then, the primary concern was having children. Astoria was probably raised with that attitude. Likewise her education on anything regarding the pregnancy process was probably far more expansive than most. It shouldn't be too shocking that her hormones were a little crazy. She had been told all her life that she had to have children with a siutable man, and now that she had found one, it shouldn't be too shocking that she was... more liberal with her desires. Especially if she cared for his godson like his godson claimed. And he could see it. It was in the way she leaned back into him and whispered in his ear. A whisper that his canine ears picked up on. She had her back turned to him and he was being as silent as the grave, but she didn't even flinch when he embraced her. She knew him by touch, maybe had even spent long enough to notice him by smell.

He would have to give Harry the lowdown on Pureblood customs. Though he was a halfblood, if he did have any children with Astoria, they would be accepted in all of society's circles. It was up to Astoria's elder sister to continue on the Pureblood line, though he was sure that head of the Greengrass family would want both to marry into pure families, it was not something he would force. And the Potter family, until Harry himself, had been pure, and the name itself still carried great weight. The young girl could've chosen worse as far as her family would be concerned and though some wizarding views were indeed archaic, young people still had a choice. No one was forced into a wedding completely against their wishes. Some unions may not be happy, but a marriage bond could not be established if one of the parties was unwilling.

Sirius would do his best to urge Harry to remain cautious. He was far too young to be a father after all. Though Harry wasn't an idiot, Sirius felt the need to play the parental role either way. He allowed his magic to revert his body back to his natural state, and decided to wait patiently for the two to realize they had company.

It made Sirius's heart ache in a way. Harry looked so much like James. Seeing him wrapped up in the arms of a young woman, being happy brought Sirius to the past. Harry, in truth, only looked like his father. James spent the majority of his childhood acting like a fool, pursuing a good time. Harry was never given that he could see James in the boy so clearly now. It was in his smile. It was in the way he looked at his girlfriend. In the past it had been easy for Sirius to see Harry as his own person, for the cross Harry had to bear was so great, everyone could see it if they bothered to try. Finally it seemed as though the two were wrapping up their whispered conversation with one another, as they both turned to face him.

"Hello Mr. Black. Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Harry has told me a great deal about you."

Her greeting was formal and polite and Sirius gave the girl a grin. "A pleasure to meet you as well, Astoria. I'd like to say Harry has extended the courtesy the same way, but it seems he has desired to keep you to himself. In either case, I would love the chance to get to know the young lady who has managed to steal his heart."

She had kept her face even throughout his own greeting until the end. When she heard his last sentence, her smile truly bloomed. And Sirius could see just how Harry had fallen so easily for her. Any boy would fall for a girl who would smile at them like that. That was a look that conveyed everything. While Sirius wasn't really positive what Harry precisely felt for this girl, he now knew for a fact that she was head over heels for his godson. She wasn't going to do him wrong.

The conversation ended shortly after the exchange of names, much to Sirius's dismay. He was a grown man, he was more than well aware of the signs that a couple wanted to be alone. He had been on the receiving end of those signals from Harry's father, and now he was getting them from the son. He wrapped his godson up in a hug, once again whispering for him to be safe, and after a final pointed look, told them he would be leaving to get into his own mischief. Telling them he would return for Harry in four hours, he once again allowed his animagus form to take over and he left the two alone. But not before noticing the very odd smell coming from the young girl again. He recognized it, but from where he could not recall. It mattered little at the moment. He had a cat he wanted to terrorize.

Harry grinned at the girl in front of him, and she took his hand before leading him into the Room of Requirement. "Well, that seemed to go fairly well," she said, taking a seat on the now familiar bed.

Harry looked at her, wondering if that was what she had really thought or if she was just hiding her true musings. "It went well enough. Though I don't think that Astoria was a very good choice, considering he is aware of, er, what we get up to."

"Nonsense. Pureblood society has been arranging marriages at ages far younger than this for centuries. Though Astoria is a bit young to be active in the physical sense, it would not be deemed too inappropriate."

"Speaking of Astoria, is she aware of you... using her identity?"

"Not at all. I entered her dorm room and summoned a hair for polyjuice."

"You seem about as adept at that potion as Hermione. When is it gonna wear off?"

"I can assure you, all of my skills surpass your best friend's abilities. As for the potion, should be fading in ten or so minutes. Why?"

"Because I don't really want to kiss Astoria. I'd rather wait a bit and kiss you."

Emily batted her lashes at him. "Oh, not a fan of blonds, Harry? Bet I could change your mind."

Harry immediately cut her off. "Emily the only person I want to be a fan of is you. Please, don't play any games with this."

Emily quieted at that and did not press him further. Instead she chose to ask him how his vacation had gone so far. Harry was used to guarding his thoughts from her at this point. He knew that she could easily peel back whatever mental defense he had and sift through his memories and thoughts if she felt the need. So he did his best to firmly keep his conversation with Ginny out of the surface of his mind while answering her questions. She seemed to pick up on the fact that he was hiding something and began asking questions that were very leading. Asking things that would force his thoughts in a certain direction. Fortunately she had no clue as to what precisely he was hiding, and she had made no headway into discerning what it was before her body started to change. Afterwards Harry was able to keep her lips otherwise occupied, and she forgot all about it.

* * *

Emily wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she had shed tears that Christmas morning. She had noticed his gift right away and wasted no time in discovering what it was. Finding the delicate silver band and reading his note, the emotions got the best of her. It still wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but she knew she moved closer to it every day.

Polyjuice potion was a regulated substance. One could not buy it easily, and it was supposed to be difficult enough to brew that only a potions master would attempt it. Which was why she had been shocked when Harry had told her the story of his sneaking into the Slytherin common room in his second year. But Emily was more than capable of brewing the potion as well, and always had some available for use. She snipped the long strand of Astoria's hair into three equal lengths and prepared three vials of the potion for her use tonight. Two for the meeting and Harry's departure and the last in case of something coming up. Emily hadn't achieved immortality without the ability to prepare ahead of time.

She decided that Harry's godfather was a good sort. He clearly loved Harry, and she could see that he respected the boy's boundaries. She had lightly brushed his mind with legilimency when they had locked eyes and she could hear his reservations regarding their age. Something her lover had admitted to thinking about too. Emily scowled at herself. She had made a slight error, she begrudgingly admitted. Times had changed in the past forty years, and things that were common in pureblood society then were less common now, and were even frowned upon in many circles.

Regardless, things had proceeded smoothly after that. Sirius let them be for some hours and she wasted little time before ravishing her young lover. He didn't like the idea of kissing her in the girl's body, something she secretly adored him for, but those thoughts were put to rest when her body changed. She had thought that she would be frantic with her desire for him, as it had been several days since they had last been together. But she was surprised when the desires still remained calm. Still more intense than anyone else could ever hope to imagine, but they didn't consume her. The brief hours they spent in the bed were decadent and alluring, but stayed languid. It was in their last hour together that she brought up the ring he had gifted her that morning.

"Normally when a boy presents a girl with a band of precious metal and words of commitment, the underlying meaning behind them is rather clear. I must say, that yours wasn't quite so obvious to me. Care to elaborate on what message you were trying to convey to me?"

"I figured it as already pretty clear in the note. I'm gonna stay with you. And we will approach everything together, and we will overcome any obstacle that impedes us."

"Yes that is almost word for word what you stated in that letter. Seeing as you are being intentionally obtuse, I will have to take the reins I suppose. Harry Potter, will you marry me?"


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: So, to my knowledge, I have deleted any mentions of this story's inspiration and said inspiration's author from this story. It has come to my attention that they do not like my story. At all. So out of respect for their views I have decided to remove any association that this story holds with the other except for things left in people's reviews and the one obvious similarity that I won't mention. But I like that, so we are leaving it. Though this is fan fiction, I will respect another author's opinion regarding how they want their work viewed. Having said that, our story is still on track and going strong, so may I present, Chapter 18.

Chapter 18

"Are you serious right now?"

Emily couldn't help the cold feeling wash over her. Apparently marriage had not been what he had been alluding to. Had she been misinterpreting his signals? Wanting to introduce her to the little family he had left, the ring, the desire to know all that she was involved with. Maybe all these things hadn't been him subtly professing his love for her. But what else could they be about? Who gives a girl a ring and promises to stay by her side, but doesn't want to tie the knot? Emily composed herself quickly. 'Aloof, don't let him know he's knocked you off balance.'

"As serious as I am about most things, I suppose. Let's be honest, Harry. You're not going to be with anyone else, are you?" She held her hand up as he opened his mouth. "And before you even try to answer, that question was rhetorical. You may not have told me that you love me yet, but you do. So let's stop talking falsely now, the hour is getting late. Marry me."

She was taking a gamble with the assumption of his feelings. Either he was playing hard to get, or she was digging a hole that she would struggle to get out of. He had no real reason to not care for her, after all. She did things for him that any woman would do for the man they loved. Sure, she didn't exactly fit society's basic gender role definition, but she was close enough. What's more is that he knew her feelings for him. The biggest hurdle was already out of the way.

"I'm fifteen Emily. I'm not marrying you."

So he was going to play this game again. Keep giving out excuses and excuses. She had played this with him before, and she had one those disagreements too.

"I think age is a moot point between us, Harry. You're fifteen and I'll be seventy in a year. As for whether you are of an age to legally marry, well, it won't have to be official by the ministry's standards. I'll be happy enough if you agree to perform the marriage bonds with me."

"Look, Emily, I get it. You love me. And you're right, to an extent I love you too. But its not the kind of love I feel comfortable marrying you over."

She was impressed. He was switching gears now. Excuses failed, so now he was wording the truth in a way that he felt she would cave for. She was prepared for that.

"So, what kind of love would you feel comfortable marrying me over Harry? Who do you possibly hold closer to your heart than myself?"

"There's no one closer to my heart than you, its just tha-"

"So if I'm the closest person," she spoke over him now. "Then there shouldn't be much of a problem with my proposal." She was going to press this, even though she knew the odds of getting him to agree to this were probably slim to none. He deserved to sweat for getting her hopes up. At the very least, she had planted the idea in his mind now. He could start thinking about it now, and when she brought it up later, she would have more success.

"Emily, can we just drop it. I, I really can't marry you. Or even agree to it. Okay. Its just way too soon. Please, lets have this talk further down the road."

"Ugh, fine. But I want you to know that it hurts me to hear that. I'm so deeply in love with you Harry," she poured it on as thick as she could for him now, "that for you to reject me like this feels terrible. What can I do to prove to you that this would be the best for us?"

He wasn't the only one who could change the way they approached things. Emily was capable of adapting to. If she had managed to compromise her way into his pants, then it stood to reason that she had a chance to compromise her way to an engagement.

"How about by trying to treat me as a person rather than your own personal chew toy." He'd said it barely louder than a whisper, but she'd heard it.

"What on earth do you mean by that? When have ever treated you as, well, as an object subject to my desires?"

"I think you need to go by that line you just told me again. Because I hate to break it to you Emily, but that's how you treat everyone, including me. Ever since the beginning. You look at me as nothing more than a prize, depending on how well you think you can make me fall for you. Yes, I know that there is more to it for you than just that, but, ugh, think how I see it. Put yourself in my shoes."

The two had been lying in bed, facing one another, for the entire conversation. At his suggestion, Emily rolled onto her back to gaze at the ceiling and honestly tried to do as he asked. It wasn't too difficult really, they were quite similar. Imagining herself as a young girl, with a powerful wizard professing his love to her didn't seem so bad, but then again, she was imagining an older Harry, so the idea settled in her mind quite nicely. But then she thought about the memory charms, and the deceptions, and things weren't so nice. She then got to the emotional manipulations and the outright omissions. She did her best to see as much of the past few months from his perspective as she could.

"I suppose I can see your point." She twisted her torso around to face him, leaning her head on her arm. "I've pushed and pushed you to get what I want, and in the end, I don't think I've ever really asked you what it was that you wanted. Tell me Harry, what do you want? And I mean that in its barest sense, what do you want, not in relation to me or anything else. Just you."

He just looked into her eyes, delaying his answer, but for what, she had no clue. Maybe he really had to think about it. She knew that he was a good man inside. Maybe he had to shed all of that to find out what it was the he truly, maybe even selfishly, wanted.

"This I guess." She remained silent, hoping he would continue, as that, as an answer, was unacceptable. He threaded a hand into her raven locks, fondling the ends, before continuing, "I hate being alone. I've spent so much of my life like that. I want to find someone who can be there for me. Talk with me, care about me, be my other half, you know? And you fill that hole in so many ways, but its like you still don't quite fit. But its so close that I want to keep trying, until you do. I can't help this fear though. I'm afraid that deep down, you don't fit at all, and you're just going to keep faking that you do until it won't matter anymore, because I'll need you too much to care whether or not you're what I want."

Emily was strongly debating if shedding tears right now would help or hinder the situation. Because she was on the verge of an emotional melt down. She had opened their connection up to its fullest, desperately wanting to understand his feelings and the torrent of loneliness and fear was almost overwhelming. She understood now. He held her at arms length because he couldn't trust her, and he never really would be able to either. At the end of the day, he knew she would do whatever she had to, to keep him near her. And if that meant lying to him, by telling him that she was all he would ever need, then that would be what she did. In order to get him to fall in love with her in the way she wanted, she would have to make the impossible, possible. She would have to gain his trust. With a deep breath, Emily began the uphill battle.

"My name is Emily Riddle, and I was born on December 31st, 1926. My mother was a pureblood witch by the name of Merope Gaunt, who used a love potion on a muggle she was enamored with, who later became my father." So Emily began at the beginning, and for the rest of their final hour she told him of her life. Every detail she could think of. She had barely scraped through her childhood, before her wand flashed blue, signalling their time was up. She kissed him deeply one last time, before telling him to check his parchment every night, that she would continue telling him everything about her past. Quickly donning on her garments, she reached into the folds of her robes, grabbing another vial of polyjuice and downed it quickly.

Together the two walked hand in hand out of the room to find Sirius leaning against the hallway, waiting for them. After a brief goodbye the two left her alone. She immediately allowed her body to break apart into a black mist, and traveled through the castle back to her quarters. Once there she grabbed her piece of charmed parchment and continued writing her story. Each day after, she would spend hours, composing her life onto the paper, fervently wanting him to understand her as much as she felt she understood him. She censored nothing. Every single act she could remember committing was presented to him, from the location and creation of every single horcrux to the murder of his parents. She held nothing back, all in the hopes that he would do the same regarding his heart.

Of all the hours Emily spent writing Harry, he spent just as much time reading and contemplating her life. The good and the bad. It was so painful to realize just how much bad there was though. She had done so many terrible things on a mere whim, just because it was easier than doing something else. And it didn't stop there. She had traveled to an incredibly amount of countries seeking any arcane and powerful magic she could. All for the sole purpose of using it against others. To prove she was better, stronger, more fit to rise above everyone else. And it wasn't just her who believed that, others flocked to her as a beacon, and they believed in her too. She and they had found common ground, a hate for the muggles that were invading their lives, and so they had hoisted her atop their shoulders and sought to drive anything related to muggles out of their community.

The hardest thing for him to read however, had been the night they had first met. She had told him it had been a night that she could recall with such clarity it was as though it happened yesterday. That she had killed his father, telling his corpse that it was a fitting end for a blood traitor. When she found his bedroom with only himself and his mother inside, and then made a weak offer to spare the woman, as her follower, his own potion's professor, had asked her to do because he loved her. And then how she had struck her down only a moment after her refusal and laughed at the realization that there was no one left between herself on the child. She wrote about looking into his green eyes as she peered into his crib, and in a rare show of humanity, felt a pang guilt for what she was going to do. How she had wished it didn't have to be this way, that she wasn't forced into killing such a small child. Then she told him of the curse and the most excruciating pain of her life, as her body was destroyed and her soul had attempted to leave this world, but the chains of her horcruxes kept her tethered to life.

It was all laid bare for him. He was certain that he knew more about Lord Voldemort than anyone else ever did. He knew of every ritual she had performed and every bit of ancient magic she knew, he was at least aware of. He even knew that Severus Snape loved his mother to a sickening degree. Loved her so much, so selfishly, that he would happily allow her own son to be murdered to keep her safe.

But deep down, Harry felt that he also knew everything about Emily Riddle. That thought was incredible enough in its own right. What he did not know, however, was the why. Why had she divulged everything to him, even the locations of her horcruxes. One that was horrifyingly enough, in the same room they met every Saturday. In regards to her motives, however, the only purpose she had for telling him everything like that would have been in an attempt to make him fall for her, but if that were the case, she should've kept some facts to herself. So there was more to it than that.

He took a deep breath. Right now, he was seated on a comfortable couch in one of Grimauld Place's two sitting rooms, holding the last bit of Emily's story in his hands. In the end, he could only assume that she was trying to ease his fear regarding her as his partner. The fear that she would always be decietful. Except this time she was being almost too honest with him. Now that he had read about her life, he honestly couldn't really say just how he felt. Even her most recent murders in Little Whinging, though they did upset him, didn't really tip the scales. She had committed those before they had actually gotten together, before she had started exercising control on her worst impulses. Since they had entered this odd relationship however, she hadn't really done anything atrocious. Even her break in to Azkaban had been bloodless, as the prison's guards, the dementors, had simply allowed her to walk in and out. She had allowed her focus to fall solely on him.

Harry decided to draw out all the lines. The good and the bad. She was an attractive, powerful witch who was enamored with him. She also liked to kill, maim, and generally cause vast amounts of pain as a source of entertainment. But she was willing to forgo that in almost its entirety to be with him. Another negative was that she was a megalomaniac who wanted to rule the world; bonus points for actually having enough power and followers to make a good run for it. Yet, she claimed she wouldn't oppress the muggleborns. Well, she hadn't outright said that, but he was fairly certain that it had been what she meant. While he doubted they would get equal rights to purebloods, he was confident that she would make certain they weren't enslaved or murdered out in the streets.

He had never pressed her hard about what she planned to do about the muggle populace. It was something he would have to ask about. Pausing in his musings, he went ahead and wrote down his question on the paper he had with him for hours on end. He may not get an answer soon, for he knew she was probably sick of looking at it, for all the time she spent telling him her life's story. He didn't even get a chance to set it down before the ink started running across the page.

'The muggles, trash they may be, are not to be trifled with on a whim. They have powerfully destructive weapons capable of decimating entire countries, if they so desired. They are pathetic wastes, intent on violence and death, and something needs to be done about them, but not until the magical world unites as a single entity, under me of course, to wipe their weapons of mass destruction out. Once they are rendered harmless, they can go about their lives as any other animal does on this planet.'

Her answer was acidic, but Harry knew what she meant. He had learned of the World Wars during his muggle schooling, knew of the nuclear bombs that the yanks had dropped on Japanese soil. And the yanks weren't the only nation to have them either. This of course said nothing about their more mundane weapons, like guns and other such items. He wondered how a normal wizard would fare against an automatic rifle. Or what about a policeman's pistol. Wizards might have a 'go to' curse to commit murder, but like muggles, they had many other ways to get the job done. But could they react to the speed of a bullet? He debated asking Emily about that, but decided not to. He wanted to remain focused on the more important issues, at least as far as he was concerned.

In knowing every detail of what happened on the night he lost his family, Harry found that he finally had a sense of closure. It had been a terrible thing for Emily to do, but as far as she was concerned, it had all been necessary. Though Harry wanted to believe otherwise, he understood her motivations. He felt that he could no longer truly hold onto the act as a personal grudge. After all, he never really knew his parents. How could he hold onto the anger he had for her when she took something from him he couldn't remember having? Closing his eyes to remember the screams of his mother, he could now imagine so much more of what had happened that night. Of course the Emily in his head looked just as she did now, which didn't really add up, but he could visualize everything. And when he opened his eyes, he didn't feel anger or hate, just disappointment. It shouldn't have been like that. None of it should've had to been played out like it had.

Emily had screwed everything up the first time she had made her bid for power. And her failures then had led to what, by all rights, had been a civil war. The price of her failure cost the lives of many, and scarred the magical world deeply. What made matters worse, was the fact that it wasn't even her price to pay. That was a price paid by everyone else. Her own comeuppance was him, and she was his retribution. She would face the gallows for her sins, willingly or not, by having every thing she desired take second place to her infatuation with him. It was his job to shackle her, and she would submit to it for his heart. He would get the love and care he should've had throughout his life through her. Prophecy, fate, whatever the force could be called, had chained them together. She had no desire to leave, and he was losing more and more of that same desire with each passing day.

* * *

Sirius poked his head into the room where his godson had been seated. The man was not exactly happy. Something had happened, he knew, between his godson and Astoria Greengrass. Something big. Harry spent hours with that damn parchment, and not with his friends over the break where as before his visit to the castle, Sirius had never even seen the magical form of communication with his own eyes. What had transpired between the two that would make them communicate for so many hours at a time? Sirius firmly believe in allowing Harry to make his own decisions, he was a bright young lad, and had not approached his godson about it, but he was unsettled by it.

It did help ease his worries that his godson's mood remained level. At the very least that told him that things had not gone horribly wrong. If anything Harry was just... thinking. He would watch the boy, see that he would only spend a scant amount of time reading, and the rest was spent idly staring into the fire or the occasional bit of pacing. The only other time he would do anything else would be if one of his friends practically dragged him out of the room to do something else. Another thing that set his heart at ease. Harry had a temper, and if someone attempted to make him do something while he was stressed, Harry would go off on them. Seeing as everyone was spared these emotional displays once again told Sirius that Harry could handle whatever had come his way. At the end of the day, Sirius only wanted Harry to know he could turn to him if he needed to. That Harry was no longer alone anymore.

So instead of directly inserting himself into Harry's problems, Sirius asked everyone who also wanted to involve themselves with Harry's sudden bouts of pensiveness to not do so. His request had gone over well with Harry friends who knew him the best and had agreed that it didn't seem as though there was anything truly worth worrying about. Some of the surrounding adults however, well he had been forced to put his foot down in a couple of scenarios. But in the end, everyone had agreed to let things remain as they were. His godson remained quiet, but still fairly happy for the rest of the break.

Today was the last day of the break for the Hogwarts students and Sirius did have some topics to go over with his godson. So after a brief moment to think on how best to approach the subject, he walked into the room before clearing his throat. The action succeeded in getting Harry's attention, and the man sat down beside the boy.

"Everything good, Sirius?" His godson wasted little time in starting things for him, so he tried to do the same.

"Everything is fine, Harry, but I feel as though we need to have a talk. It pertains to your girlfriend, and no, before you ask, I haven't told anyone about her yet. That is your story to tell, how and when you wish to tell it."

"Okay, well, what did you need to say?"

Sirius didn't like how that sounded. It was as though Harry was expecting something opinionated from him. "Its not really anything about her personally, just somethings I think you should know about how purebloods are brought up. Its a different world for us Harry, we have certain expectations, and though I chose to flagrantly disregard mine, others aren't as opposed to tradition."

"I'm following you so far. I actually asked Ron about a lot of pureblood customs and stuff, and he gave me a pretty basic explanation of everything."

"And that is a good thing, but Ron is a boy, and somethings, boys don't need to know. Your dating a pureblood Harry, and I feel as though you should be aware of her family's expectations."

He saw the smile on his godson's face, and thought it was out of place. He, of course, couldn't have known that Harry's actual girlfriend's family was all but deceased, and therefore had no expectations whatsoever.

"Harry, a pureblood woman's duty is to continue the line of whatever family she is married into. Normally that line is as pure as her own. With the Greengrass family, they only have daughters, so they will be looking for a pureblood male to marry into their family and take their name. In the case of the Greengrass family, you said there were just two daughters, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Then, most likely, whoever marries the older sibling will take the Greengrass name, and marry into her family. Therefore, Astoria will be off the hook, for the most part. Her family won't be pleased if she were to go off and marry a muggle, you know, but she will have a larger amount of freedom when it comes to selecting her husband. Mind you, no one can force anyone to marry in the wizarding world, and we tend to view muggle marriages as far less binding as there are no, well, there ARE vows, but they aren't like the ones we use here. And you can't really marry a muggle in our world, because they don't have magic."

"What do you mean?"

"We have something called marriage bonds in the wizarding world. They are vows that weave two people's magics together before separating them back into one another. It, well its hard to explain, after all, I've never been married. I guess it makes the two much closer. Well, you've seen Molly and Arthur. Those two are happily in love and will stay that way until the end of their days. A part of that is because they are two good people who truly love one another. The other part of that is their marriage bond. From what I know of it, it inspires a desire to remain close to one another, kind of allow you to mentally push your partner needs above your own. I'm total codswallop at explaining this, my father only told me of it briefly many years ago, but in the end, the bond allows the two to remain in love with one another."

"So, you came to talk to me about... marrying E-, marrying Astoria?"

"Oh no, of course not. Well, not yet anyway. I guess I did go off on a tangent there. Remember what I said at the beginning with the whole continuing of the lines bit?" At Harry's nod, he pressed on. "Well, she may be more eager than you, to... well... to start having children. It's something that she has probably had ingrained into her by her family for her whole life. I just want you prepared for the subject when it comes up. Not that it may any time soon of course, you are both very young. I just want you aware of where she is coming from, so you don't try and run for the hills immediately. Also, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but please don't get her preggers before she leaves Hogwarts. Accidentally or otherwise, no witch should have to throw everything away and become a mother. Even if it's what she thinks she wants right now. Young people are known for not thinking things through very well. She should finish her schooling and give some thought on what she wants to do outside of Hogwarts. Do you agree?"

His godson had been staring off for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. "You're right, but it doesn't really matter. Astoria's got big plans Sirius, remember what I told you? She won't want to strap herself down with a child too soon. It's not really something we need to worry about."

Inwardly Sirius was breathing easier already. He did, in fact, remember Harry bringing something like that up, and was pleased to hear it again. It seemed as though he had been fretting over nothing, at the same time however, he was pleased. He and his godson had taken another moment to just talk. And like that time down by the lake at Hogwarts, he felt that his best friend would have been proud of the way he had handled things. Few could imagine how hard it was to step into the role of a parent, while not actually being one, and Sirius had all but woken up one day with the realization that he would have to do as such. No time to get used to the idea, as his godson was already a teenager, and more in need of a person to talk to now more than ever.

"Sirius."

He looked over at Harry, whose voice had gone soft. A kind of soft that one knew was important.

"What's wrong?"

"How do you forgive someone who has done something horrible?"

Sirius was perplexed. This had come out of nowhere. "I don't really follow what you're getting at here."

"Nothing really more to add to it. How do you forgive someone who has done something horrible?"

At Harry's reiteration of the question, Sirius knew he wouldn't get anymore information about why he was being asked such, so he did his best to answer.

"A lot of times, if someone has truly something horrible, its not our place to offer forgiveness. They need to find atonement. When I left you as a baby to go chase down Peter, I did something I considered horrible. I abandoned you." He raised his hand to cut Harry off, as the boy had been about to deny it. "No, I did. I left you when you needed me the most. When you had no one else. All to get revenge, and then I even manage to foul that up. So I spent the next thirteen years in Azkaban, knowing I could escape, but I felt as though I needed to atone for what I had done. It was only after seeing that rat that I attempted to regain freedom, once again, for the wrong choices. However, when I was out and my senses returned to me, one of the first things I did was track you down, and see how you were."

"I saw you board the knight bus, alone, in the middle of the night, and was worried. Fortunately, both you and Peter were at Hogwarts later, and I spent time keeping an eye on you while trying to smoke him out. Somewhere during that time, I got my priorities straight and my focus fell more onto you. I all but completely left the task of Pettigrew to your friend Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, and spent most of my time trying to see as much of you and your life as possible. I felt as though my years in Azkaban had atoned for abandoning you, though not for failing your parents, and a lot of weight was lifted from my chest. So, to answer your question, you can't really forgive someone unless they feel as though they can be forgiven."

"And what if they don't regret what they did, at all? What if I'm not forgiving them for their sake, but for mine?"

Sirius was now officially worried again, and this time it was worse. Who had done something horrible to his godson that he would feel the need to forgive them so badly?

"Then you should probably realize that this person isn't good for you, Harry. If someone makes you feel that you have to forgive them for their errors, then you should walk away."

"What if I can't, Sirius? What if I can't walk away; if I'm stuck there with no way out?"

"Harry, look at me." Sirius got up from the couch and placed himself on the floor trying to look up into the boy's eyes. He waited for the eye contact before continuing, "What happened between you and Astoria that night? What did she do?" It was the only thing he could think of. Though Harry had just told him that the girl didn't have any plans to get pregnant, that's what things sounded like. Something he couldn't walk away from. Had she been unfaithful to him? And Harry cared so much for her that he wanted to forgive her, but she didn't regret her actions at all so how could he. The scenarios started piling up each one less likely than the last, and Harry had made no move to answer his question, just sitting there, glassy eyes now looking back into the fireplace.

"I really can't talk about it right now Sirius. Maybe not ever. But we are trying to work past things, and I think its working. I just wanted, I just wanted you to know, and for you to just be here. Thanks."

Sirius was curious, and not in a good way. It was an angry curiosity. If he ever found out what that girl did to his godson, she better pray she kept him happy for the rest of her life. Because if she left him or he left her, he would find someway to make her pay for whatever it was she had done. Sirius had only the best impression of Astoria, from the little he had seen and heard of her through Harry, and now, in less than a minute of conversation, the girl had moved to top of his shite list, right below Voldemort herself.

Gripping his godson in a sudden, strong hug, he was able to mask the tears in his own eyes. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you as many times as you need to hear it Harry. I'm always gonna be here for you. Whenever you need me, you get that mirror and you let me know. Perks of being so close to your Headmaster, I can be in the school with just a moments notice."

Harry pulled back and grinned at him, while giving a small huff of laughter, "Thanks Sirius. You're the best." Sirius could only hope that Harry's relationship with this girl worked out well. He knew his godson would be hurt by things falling apart, and Sirius was uncertain as to how well he would be able to handle watching his godson's pain. Standing up to ruffle the boy's hair, "Come on into the kitchen, we can grab some of Molly's left over treacle tart. Maybe you can tell me more about this 'private investor' thing I overheard the twins talking about." Harry could only sigh and nod his head, this would be a fun conversation.

A/N: So I've been to mention song called, 'Tap That' by Megan McCauley. ^_^ I totally can see Emily rocking out to this. Anyone else?


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Was like 90% done with editing this chapter before I accidentally closed the tab... reopened to find it all for naught. WHHHHHYYYYYYYY? I gave most of the chapter a lookover before I posted it on here, so I just said, 'screw it'. Weren't really a whole lot of errors when I read over it a moment ago, anyway. So, please enjoy.

Chapter 19

Harry was happy to be back at Hogwarts. Though he did enjoy spending time with his godfather, he was uncomfortable being away from Emily. He had spent so many hours of the past week reading about her life, but it wasn't the same as hearing her speak. He found he missed her. After months of seeing her almost everyday, it was disconcerting to not have her engineering 'random' meetings or her asking him to come by her office later. When he had woken up this morning, he had found a note from her, reading:

I hope this finds you well in the morning, as I am writing it quite late.

I want you to know that, starting this new term, I'm going to be pushing

you much harder than I have been. I have no doubts that you'll be able to

perform more than adequately, and handle everything I throw at you. So

be prepared.

Love, Emily

P.S. After going over this short missive, I realized that I should emphasize I am

talking to you about the private lessons in magic, and not in the other ways I

enjoy pushing you hard. Or ways you push me. See you soon.

He had, in fact, realized that she had been talking about him learning more advanced magic, and wondered why she always though his mind was in the same place as hers, the gutter. Still the letter had been light hearted, and in the face of their most recent correspondence, it was a nice change. Up until this morning, everything she wrote him seemed like monotonous fact, with very little of her personality injected within. He realized that she needed to be that way when describing her past for him, for they both were aware how a great deal of brutality existed there. Harry doubted he would've been able to read about her making a Horcrux and remain calm had she decided to tangent off with useless, unrelated chatter.

Emily had given him nothing more that morning however, so when he stepped onto the grounds from the carriage ride he immediately began wondering where she was. After a quick glance at his surroundings he walked towards one of the many courtyards before being isolated enough to reveal the marauder's legacy. The map told him that Emily Riddle was located in her office. He set off in that direction immediately.

* * *

Emily took a deep breath. She had been up late the night before at the Malfoy home, constructing new legislation for the pureblood wizard to start using his connections to push through the government. Of course, it was all very subtle, only one or two small parts that would influence their goals in the entire bill. But things had to be that way, lest someone realize the blatant favoritism being shown to certain members of the community. Politics had to be subtle, to appease everyone. It was a fact that no one wishing to dip their hands in could avoid.

Emily had been resting on a lush couch seated in her office. She had hopes that Harry would come see her when he returned, but did not wish to force her company on him just yet. She felt he needed to come to her after all her revelations. So she would wait, giving him another illusion of control, and if he did not come see her on Saturday, then she would approach him. Being Tuesday, that would make for a long wait, seeing as it had already been a week since she had seen him last, but she could hang on for longer. Do what needed to be done. Such worries were useless as she could feel him drawing near to her.

At the knock to the door, she quickly rose from the couch, eager to touch him. Almost desperate to look into his eyes and whisper many things to him, some naughty, while others just being innocent and sweet. Opening the door, she was, for a moment, confused as she could see no one in front of her, but was most certain that he was there before she felt an unseen hand touch her arm. She had forgotten about his cloak. Stepping backwards to allow her invisible visitor in the door, she closed it before turning around, to see him folding the cloak neatly back into his bag. She smiled before walking to embrace him and went on to begin speaking softly to him.

"Welcome back."

"Hey."

Allowing her hands to unwind from his waist and begin to slowly wander about his body, she dipped her head to place a kiss on his robe clad shoulder, before turning her lips to his cheek. Still positioned in front of him, one hand finally playing with the belt at his waist, the other sliding up the side of his chest, she whispered the phrase she always did to him, "I love you."

Though in the past he had always taken great pains in answering her feelings in a way that was obscure, he didn't even bother today, tilting his own head up a fraction to capture her lips with his. She couldn't help the elation in knowing that he wasn't going to make her wait. Though it would not be the first time they had been physical in her office, it was certainly a rare occurrence. Despite her partner's young age, he normally refrained from allowing himself to let loose during their couplings until the end. Today, it seemed, he was making an exception and didn't even bother removing her clothes. Making quick work of his own clothes, he was soon left only in his trousers where as all she had done was shed her robe. This didn't impede him as he worked his hands under the skirt she had worn today, pulling her knickers to the side before touching her in the place she needed him the most. The rest of the act was just as intense and frantic as this and at the end they were both on the couch, Emily astride him, breathing deeply as she rested her forehead against his own.

"Well," she panted, "obviously I can tell you what has gotten into me, but what's gotten into you?"

"I missed you. Feels like I've had very little Emily time lately, so I fixed that."

She smiled, "I'll give you as much of my time as you want. The next decade if you so desire."

Her lover laughed at that. "Though I know you have incredible talents, I don't see you and I having sex for ten years straight. It would fall off long before then."

"Who says we have to be having sex? At the end of the year, you and I can just disappear for a while. I am more than capable of teaching you all the magic you need to know. We can go see and travel the world, like I told you I did in my past."

"And what of my friends and Sirius? Should I just leave them here?"

"They will be fine on their own. We don't necessarily have to be gone for years, you know. We can shorten it down to one. I'm certain I can have you NEWT qualified in in every subject by that time. You can even come back for your seventh year here, though I'll insist that you sneak out as much as possible to come see me."

"I don't see you being able to gallivant across the world with me, teaching me magic, all while I still have the 'trace' on me. I'm still underage."

"Oh, don't even try that one. I can tear through the trace on you easily enough. Wouldn't be a struggle."

She unconnected their bodies, before pulling him to lay down with her on the couch. Though he was barely shorter than her she had arranged them so that his messy hair was pressed against her neck and chin. Running her hand along the length of his back, she continued.

"I'm not going to force you to say yes to this Harry. But think about it. It will hold many advantages for you. For one, you will be with me at all times, knowledgeable of all that I do, and I know that is something you worry about. You will be able to do magic at all times, for anything you wish. You will even have the added bonus of pulling me away from my followers for a year."

"Only to be giving you an unlimited amount of time with them in the year following, as it sounds as though you won't be returning to teach if we do this, and I'll still be here."

"You don't have to come back to Hogwarts, we can get your NEWTs done in a couple of days at the ministry easily enough. I just thought that you would like to return here and spend your last year with your friends."

She wanted to know very much what he was thinking. Using legilemency on him would be so beneficial, now, if it weren't for the fact she knew he would feel it. He always felt great pain when she tried to push the connection she had to him the other way. She could allow the connection to be open and feel his emotions, but the moment she attempted to dig, he would be in agony. All she had to go on were the emotions he was feeling, and they were muddled at best. She was more than willing to follow through with this plan if he agreed. Surely he wouldn't be able to resist her if they spent a year in each other's company. It would be so easy to convince him of his love for her that way. Of course, she doubted his denial of his own feelings would last until their departure as they had made great leaps together in the short amount of time they had so far. Soon they would talk about her past and hopefully he would overcome the negativity that he still held for her in his heart.

For Emily was certain he did love her. It was his youth that blinded him to what he felt. He had not experienced enough that life had to offer to know the feelings he held for her. She felt his physical passion and it was almost as strong as her own. How could it be anything else?

"Think on it." It was a delicate issue. One that she knew he would ponder greatly. She knew what he thought of himself in regards to her. Not just a lover, but a keeper. He felt it was his duty to mind her so she didn't cause too much trouble. She could feel it even now. Just the idea of removing her from her followers appealed to him greatly. He was under the impression that those who believed in her held expectations for her, and while that was true, to an extent, no one would dare hold her to them. Her faithful knew better than that. Those who wore her mark did so for the future she would usher in. But to him, removing her from the board meant turning some of her Death Eaters away. What a naive thought. Still, if it was a thought that would work in her favor, she wouldn't dispute it just yet.

He still did not answer her, but she was fine with that. It was moments like these where she knew her happiness would one day be complete. He was content to lie with her, and he felt safe enough to do so. They remained in their position for a quarter of an hour before he spoke to her. She had honestly thought the conversation was done with for the day and they had just been relaxing.

"Okay then. There are a few things I'll need to take care of this year, and I'll have to find an untraceable way to stay in touch with everyone, but I'm in."

Emily was flabbergasted. She had been certain he would need more coercing than just that. There had to be more than his decision than she could decipher. He had something planned as well, something he could accomplish more easily if they were alone together. What that would be, only he knew. Regardless, she would treat his answer with all the caution and delight it was due.

"Are you certain? Not that I am unwilling in any shape or form, but I want you to be completely sure that it is what you want. I'd hate to have to turn back in South America to drag you back here."

"Yes, Emily, I'm sure. It might surprise you, but during the time we've been here I've done more than marvel at the feel of your boobs pressing into me. Not saying it wasn't difficult, but I did."

So many new plans would need to be thought out now. She would have to leave Lucius and Bellatrix a comprehensive list of instructions. Her little 'organization' may have been centered around her, but her Death Eaters could operate on their own, under strict guidance anyway. There was a lot to be said for intelligence after a couple centuries of inbreeding, but things could progress easily enough, without her at the helm. She could orchestrate the boy's disappearance to look like a common runaway. Lucius had that kind of power with the media, and could make it so that any efforts to locate him remained here in Britian. Of course, she would have to divulge information to Lucius as he would start to wonder why the Dark Lord was sneaking off with her supposed 'mortal enemy' on a jaunt across the channel. Just enough information and threats to keep him quiet.

The added benefit to being out of the country was the exclusion of Albus Dumbledore. The man had far too many responsibilities in Britain to leave for an extended period of time. Dumbledore was the only wizard who stood opposed to her that was strong enough to do anything about it. The few other wizards and witches who could come close didn't particularly care about her, as long as she stayed away from them. She would know, she had met several during her travels in her younger days. And though she felt more than capable in besting them now, out of sight, out of mind as they say. Brit problems are Brit problems, enough said.

Emily began thinking on their preparations, making several mental lists on all she had to take care of before their departure. All the while she was doing this, she didn't realize that Harry's body had left her own and it wasn't until she felt the small twinges in her connection with him as he moved away that she noticed. Shelving her plans, she stood, paying no mind to her ruffled clothes and approached him as he grabbed his school robe. Before he even managed to put it on, she had both arms wrapped around his, her hands halting his progress in getting dressed. The blatant attempt to once again be the focus of his attention worked and he was looking at her now.

"I have decided it has become necessary for you to learn the Dark Arks."

"Fat chance of that."

And like that, his attention fled. He pulled away from her with a scoff, and pulled his robe on.

"I'm actually being serious here."

"You know, I actually believe that. Shame that I'm being serious too, I have no intention of learning dark magic."

"Harry, of the two of us, which is the weaker?"

Silence. After all, what bloke would want to admit to their girlfriend that he was weak in any sense? Still Harry knew that facts were facts so he did answer her after a short pause.

"Obviously I am."

"And tell me, why do you think Ms. Granger has the best chance of the rest of your classmates in besting you in a duel?"

"She knows a lot of spells. Why are we repeating conversations that we've had in the past?"

"Because, I want you to understand your weakness comes from a lack of variety. You know so very few spells, and while I am well aware that is due to your young age, I can help you fix that. I am possibly the most knowledgeable magical person in the world, Harry Potter. Through me you can be greater than you can imagine."

"Don't particularly care about greatness. Too much attention, and I still don't see why that means I should learn the Dark Arts."

"Trust me, I know all to well about your shy demeanor. As for learning the Dark Arts, they are very powerful spells Harry. Why slow someone with an impediment jinx buying yourself a minute of time when you can curse them to where they won't get back up. I'm not telling you to spout of the killing curse when you get into an argument Harry, I just want to know you have as many means of defending yourself as you possibly can."

"Where exactly are you planning on taking me on this little trip of yours that you feel I 'might' need to use something like the killing curse?"

He was thinking that this had something to do with their traveling. Not exactly what she had in mind, but she could work with that.

"A little bit of everywhere. Answer this for me, Harry. If you and I were in, lets say, Greece, and all of a sudden we were surrounded by witches and wizards intent on taking our lives, what would your first thought be?"

"Getting you out of there."

The response hadn't been what she had expected, and it was so fast it almost winded her. He admitted with no hesitation that she was a priority to him. Now was not the time to tear up.

"While I appreciate the kind gesture, I can take care of myself. You on the other hand can not. Stunning spells won't keep multiple adversaries at bay. They'll just pick one another up. A quick imperius on the other hand can have them turning on each other. Once again Harry, I'm not saying you need to use dark magic all the time, but one day it could save your life when I'm not around to protect you. If you don't want to learn it for yourself, then do it for me. Learn the spells so I feel more at peace knowing you have the power should you need it."

He caved at that. She saw it in his expression. This had been her plan all along. Harry would balk as hard as he could when it came to this, but she knew that if she made it about her, he would cave. He was so selfless, so noble... and so easy to manipulate. Still she loved him, and loved him all the more for being willing to do something he clearly didn't want to, for her. He strode over to the desk she had in her office, and seated himself in her chair. She couldn't help but smile as he placed his elbows on the wood, joined his hands and stared at her over his folded fingers. An accidental impression of Dumbledore though it may have been, it was almost spot on.

"I suppose I should tell you about Dumbledore wanting to train me in Occlumency. Some kind of mental defense in case you attempt to break into my mind. By the way, is that something you can do?"

She wasn't sure if his posture meant this was an interrogation, or if he was simply curious. Allowing his emotions to flow through their bond told her nothing, either he was exercising great control over them, or he was letting them simmer deep enough to where she couldn't grasp them. Either way mattered little here, maintaining as much honesty between them as possible would benefit her the greatest.

"I suppose I could, if I pressed hard into our bond. Though I'm fairly certain you would feel it."

"Why do you say that?"

"I've tried pushing things through our one way connection before, in the graveyard. It caused you immense pain."

He flinched, probably remembering said incident. "So, it's safe to say it's not something you're willing to do?"

"Unless it was dire that I convey something to you. I would force you through a little pain to save your life."

"What about possession? You've said that as a wraith you could possess things, that you had a certain affinity for snakes. Could you possess me?"

"You not really a snake, but with our connection I could, once again, probably do it. Though I shudder to think about the consequences of those actions."

"Why? What would happen?"

"I don't really know. You aren't exactly my most stable horcrux, you know. I don't want to think what placing my soul directly into your body would do, to you or I?"

Harry turned quiet again, and she was left wondering about his next question. It was a talk she was enjoying. Discussing the possibilities of their connection and what could be done with it were interesting. She hadn't put much thought to it in the past, more focused on the boy herself than her horcrux inside of him, but it was good to know he was curious about it.

"What if something happens to either myself or your horcrux, and it gets destroyed? Do you think you will want to kill me again?"

With this question, her enjoyment soured. They had gone from magical/soul theory and into thoughts she suppressed as hard as she was able to.

"That is something I would rather not discuss."

That had, apparently, not been what he had wanted to hear from her. He turned his eyes from her with a scoff, before muttering, "Guess that's a yes. Great."

Not willing to let him have such a foolish idea, she reopened the topic immediately. "No, it's not. Don't just assume my motives and decisions, Harry, it will annoy me. I don't want to discuss it because I hate the very thought of it. I love you, so very much. Right now that is a fact, an indisputable one. The one way I can see that love ever leaving me has to do with the destruction of either you or the horcrux inside of you. Once upon a time Harry, I felt nothing more than anger, hate and pleasure from committing horrible acts. Those actions and feelings fueled my darkest impulses, true, but they made me, and still continue to make me, into the powerful witch that I am today. More powerful than any other. And though it has taken me decades and an errant accident involving my own soul, I have finally found a fulfilling happiness. One that has altered the very core of who I am. The thought of something jeopardizing that is more than a little unpleasant. Suffice to say, no I will not kill you should that happen."

She paused, the unease still rolling through her body. She had a nagging sensation that she should put a plan 'B' in place, but the idea was too vague. How could she have a back up if her feelings of love and adoration deserted her? Would she turn back into the power hungry witch she had been in the past? Not that she didn't still want the same things, but she had more balance. Her love for him balanced her out, rounded her desires and decisions, made her able to be more normal. Emily knew she was great, but she was also aware that she had never been normal. And though in the past, she had never had such a desire to be like everyone else, who she was now, the combination of her old self and this new love, she didn't want to be anyone else. She couldn't help but stare at his face as she pondered what 'fail safe' she could put up should the unthinkable happen.

"Harry." Calling his name had been useless as he had yet to stop looking at her. But she needed the extra few seconds of introspection the pause allowed her. "If such a thing does happen, I'm holding you personally responsible for it." His face took on an odd look at hearing that, and she would have to explain in greater detail.

"Should the worst case scenario come to pass, and we do lose our connection, it will be your job to fix it. If the horcrux within you is destroyed and I do lose my feelings for you, it will be your turn to make me fall in love with you."

"Hah, really? Honestly, do you think that is even possible?"

"Certainly, connection or no, I will always have the memories of us as we are now. I will always know of this happiness, and I think, deep down, I will crave it badly should it leave me. Therefore, if I do not approach you to repair what we were, I expect you to." She walked around her desk, turning the chair he sat in to face her with a lazy flick of her hand. A parlor trick, if anything, but useful. "I know you have yet to tell me that you are in love with me, but please Harry. I will suffer greatly without you in my life. You must come for me if I find the strength to stay away from you. Please, promise me."

For a third time since they had been speaking his response shocked her, once again not with surprise, but with its intensity. "I'll come for you." He smirked at her as he spoke, "Whatever it takes, I'll come for you, and I will do what I need to to get you back."

He gently reached down for her hand, the one she had place the silver band on a week prior. "Otherwise what was the point of this gift?" Kissing her hand, he tilted his head down so the back of her knuckles were touching his forehead. "At the end of the day Emily, married or not, in love or not, you are closer to my heart right now than anyone else. Of course I'll come for you."

She knelt to the floor, wrapping her arms around his head, and pulled him into a kiss. Though their first time together today had been rushed and heavy, the second time was far slower and more relaxed. She even manage to transfigure her desk into a makeshift bed. She could have done better, had she not been completely distracted by the person sucking on her neck, grinding himself into her.

An hour after they had begun their second bout of lovemaking however, her transfiguration reverted back to it original form leaving her to roll off the edge of her desk onto the stone floor and him to leap up in pain, the steel tip of her eagle quill digging into his backside. She couldn't remember a time she had laughed so hard at something. He had pouted at her for it.

He left shortly after, to finish up some leftover work before classes started up again the next day. She wished him well, telling him to expect a note telling him of their next extracurricular lesson. He nodded to her as he disappeared around a corner of the deserted hallway. Still smiling to herself, she couldn't help but think he was such a dear.

* * *

Harry had been putting off telling Ron and Hermione of his relationship as long as possible. It was unfair to them, but necessary as he had honestly no idea how he should handle it. Now the time had come to face his two best friends and give them some proper, if not necessarily true, answers.

He had asked the two of them to meet him in the common room at two, and was glad he had done so, as his morning with Emily had not been as short as he had thought.

"So, how's the wife, Harry?"

Ron didn't bother looking at him when he asked this, and Harry wondered how his best mate felt about him having a girlfriend. Harry knew of Ron's tendency to get jealous over stupid things, and was unsure if the current scenario was something he should be wary of.

"Don't be rude Ron." Hermione, being the eternal voice of reason and logic quickly intervened, though once again, Harry was unsure if there was anything to intervene on.

"S'not rude. Just wondering how my best mate's girlfriend's doing. Mind you, I don't know who it is, but I figure she must be alright."

And Harry wasn't sure just how it was that he knew, but he did in fact know that Ron did not begrudge him of his new relationship. It was something in his tone, or maybe the way he was casually lounging on the armchair, but something about him told him well enough that Ron was actually just happy for him.

"She's great, listen guys, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier. E- She's, well, there are some things about her that are- bollocks this is difficult to explain."

"Start from the beginning then." Hermione tried to help him out, but Harry was certain she didn't want or even expect him to start talking about the night of his parent's murder, and obviously he wouldn't, so he brought out his carefully crafted cover story.

"Well, she's in Slytherin."

"WHAT?"

Ron was not so casual anymore. He was now sitting ramrod straight in his chair, eyes widened to the size of sickles and was looking at Harry as though he had lost his mind.

"Oh for the love of God, Harry, tell me you're not snogging Parkinson." Even Hermione was exasperated at his revelation apparently, and she was normally the Gryffindor champion for interhouse unity.

"Well at least he admitted it was a girl, so it's not like he's off buggering Malfoy." Ron had gone from shock to crass in record time, and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Neither Parkinson or Malfoy, and could you both please not shout. There may be a couple people in the dungeons who didn't quite catch what you just said."

"Why? You don't want everyone knowing you have a snake for a girlfriend, Harry?" Trust in Ron, with several older siblings, to know how to pick on a bloke for having a girlfriend.

"Oh come off it Ron, it's clearly not about Harry. Well, not entirely anyway. Up until recently Harry has only really spent time with you, your family and myself. He's reclusive by nature. it's more likely that his girlfriend doesn't want her housemate knowing that she is dating Harry Potter. A lot of the Slytherins don't like him, and it saves her some grief in keeping things secret."

"Wow, yeah, now that you mention it she must have it rough. How hard is she struggling to find a bloke if she desperate enough to go through all that." Ron shot him a grin. "I'm just messing, Harry. I'm sure she's willing to go through it cuz she knows you're worth it, but I gotta ask, who is she?"

"Look I'll tell you guys, but you have to keep quiet about it. Don't approach her expecting her to openly admit anything. it's just like Hermione said, she looking to keep herself out of any trouble that comes along with anything attached to 'Harry Potter'."

Hermione pursed her lips at that. "I don't know Harry. Does that sit well with you? Dating a girl who doesn't want to openly associate with you because of who you are?"

"I don't mind it really. At least I know she isn't with me because of who I am, you know. And to be completely honest, I'd rather her stay out of as much of the shite I get into as possible. She has enough troubles of her own."

Hermione leveled him with a critical look, before shrugging her shoulders. "If you're certain, then I suppose I am happy for you, but be careful Harry. I'd hate for you to get hurt."

Harry was relieved that Hermione seemed to be taking things in stride, but he figured she would. He had a lot of respect for the way she approached everything in as logical a manner as possible. Ron on the other hand seemed almost foaming at the mouth in his curiousity.

"Okay, enough about that, who is she, Harry?"

"Astoria Greengrass."

"She's a fourth year, though. Was she really the girl writing you those letters?" Hermione expressed her shock openly. Once again Harry wished Emily had picked someone older to be when she introduced herself to his godfather as his girlfriend.

"Yeah, she's er, very liberal?"

He had been so uncertain of what he was going to say, it came out like a question. Neither of his friends tried responding to it, both lost in thought.

"Nah, no idea who she is. Though I know Daphne, in our year. She's a real looker, I take it that it runs in the family?" Ron, being Ron, didn't know anyone he hadn't been directly introduced to. Harry remained unsurprised by this as he had honestly expected it.

"She's really pretty Ron, now would you try not to focus on just a woman's looks." Hermione was once again reprimanding Ron for his lack of tact, though she should have stopped the losing battle years ago.

"I know there's more things to a girl than just her looks, 'Mione. I mean come on, you're a prime example."

Harry couldn't help but feel that Ron had made an honest attempt to compliment their other friend, but it had just come out wrong.

"Oh, and tell me Ron, what is it you see when you look at me other than my looks?"

"Er, well, I mean, you're pretty, yeah, but I meant that you're smart too. And you're bloody wicked with a wand. Could wipe the floor with me any day in a duel."

Ron had, in a remarkable moment of clarity, diffused the situation with more finesse than he normally managed anything else. Harry would've been shocked had it not been for the fact that Ron had always been more comfortable around Hermione than other girls. Had he had the same conversation with any other girl in Hogwarts, Harry was certain Ron would have been hexed by now. Hermione, seemingly appeased by Ron's answer turned to Harry, "Well I'm glad that you have found a girl that makes you happy, Harry, but next time, we'd like to know a bit sooner. I respect that you went to Sirius for help regarding her, but we should've been second to know about it, don't you think?"

"To be fair, you were second, along with everyone else in the room when Sirius opened his mouth. I guess I just wasn't quite ready to share the news, yet. Sorry you two."

"No worries, mate. Glad that you're happy. Now what should we do about the upcoming game versus the Slyherins? Don't want to make your girl too angry when you crush her team." Ron managed to steer the rest of the conversation to Quidditch and the three of them spent the rest of the afternoon with his best friends, glad that they were happy with him and for him.

A/N: I ended up going over it again anyway. As for the nickname, 'Mione', I recognize that some people hate that in fanfiction, but I think it's a cute name. So yea, you will see it every now and then, don't get triggered.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Its late and I'm tired. I'll edit this after a few hours of sleep. I doubt any of you will find it 'unreadable' in its current form. We are moving dangerously close to our ending. Of book one anyway. But to be honest I don't actually have a timetable for it, so it could still be a while. Lets see... maybe 7 more chapters. Six if I get lazy and combine some stuff.

Chapter 20

It was the next morning in the Great Hall that Harry receive a note from one of the many school owls. The bird fluttered down to him and he barely had the time to grab at the missive before it was fluttering off.

Good morning to you Harry. I am aware that this request is rather sudden, seeing as

you have only returned since yesterday, but as to the matter we discussed during the

holidays, I would like to address it tonight, if possible. Feel free to come by my office

around eight in the evening, after dinner. I think you will find the information we delve

into to be quite fascinating.

P.S. I have taken a liking to peppermint imps. Have you tried them?

If Dumbledore wanted to speak with him tonight, that meant that he would have to reschedule his defense lesson with Emily. Well, he amended, his dark arts lesson. He still wasn't too thrilled about that. She was right though he hated to admit it. He could only hope she wouldn't be very cross with him about it. It was not as though he was going to send Dumbledore a reply, 'I'm sorry, professor, I have a prior lesson scheduled to learn how to properly cast the unforgivable curses. Maybe some other time.' He could only imagine how well that would go over. As for the post script, he had no clue what to make of that. Maybe the headmaster's password, he vaguely remembered it being 'sherbet lemon' in the past.

"Harry, we need to leave for class soon." Hermione successfully managed to pull him from his thoughts and they both left for their morning classes, Ron saying he would catch up to them. The workload had been heavy the entire year, due to their year's OWL exams, but now, on the last stretch of the year, his professors started really shoveling the work onto them. In each class he handed back an essay that was done over break, only to be given another essay to be completed the following week. His professors even attempted to be supportive, reminding them all that they were not the first students to go through the rigorous process to prepare for the standard tests. And that they would all do just fine, as long as they put forth the effort. Harry had his doubts about some people. Crabbe and Goyle could put forth all the effort in the world, they still wouldn't get anything better than acceptable.

* * *

Harry lumbered out of his last class, wondering why he struggled so badly with the animation he had been trying to place on his chair, when he realized between Quidditch, OWLs, Occlumency, Dark Arts and spending time with Emily, he was going to be stretched very thin. This didn't even factor in all the clubs he still went out of his way to drop in on, continuing to make social connections with other students. Just how was he going to keep up.

After dinner, Harry wrote Emily a short note, explaining why he wouldn't make it to see her, before making his way to Dumbledore's office. Sure enough, the stone gargoyle didn't make a move for him until he uttered the words 'Peppermint Imp'.

"Ah, I am glad to see you made it, Harry. I trust you have yet to been overwhelmed by your OWL preparations?"

As though the man knew what he was thinking, Dumbledore hit the nail on the head. "I'm starting to get worried that I won't be able to keep up with everything. Too many thing to do, with not enough time. How did you handle it when you were my age, sir?"

"Ah, well I was a tad bit more studious than you if I may say. I was very gifted in the academic area, and did not struggle too much with any of my exams. I can, however, offer you some good old fashioned advice."

"At this point, I think anything you tell me would be reassuring."

"I'm sure it would, but you must remember that OWLs are a series of tests to judge your comprehension of subject matter and practical application."

"You lost me there."

"Ah, let me rephrase then. As long as you know your magic and how it works, you will be just fine. At least as far as your core subjects are concerned. History, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, and I believe Divination are your other classes, and they involve a bit more reading. In Divination's case, it's palm reading." Dumbledore gave him a smile, and Harry realized that though the work did seem almost insurmountable, he would be fine. He did have a good understanding of how spells and potions worked, and he found he could learn almost anything his teachers threw at him. As for the other classes, the only one he really cared about was Care of Magical Creatures. He wanted to do well in Hagrid's class.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're very welcome. Now on to Occlumency, the defense of the mind. You have been quite consistent over the years in holding high marks in your defense studies, so I have good faith that you will take to this discipline easily enough. The first step involves clearing your mind. This will be the hardest step for you I believe as you are young, and such control over one's thoughts and emotions takes time. However, you are one of the most capable young men I have ever met, and I know that with patience you will succeed."

Dumbledore conjured up to plush armchairs in the middle of the room, nearby instruments and devices moving themselves out of the way to make room. "Now please take a seat, and I shall explain to you the process that I use to clear my mind."

"I found that the easiest thing to do when I was younger was to focus on something that could eclipse all other thoughts. Then once my focus was solely on that, I simply allowed it to slip away, thus leaving the surface of my mind blank. So, might I suggest that you focus on a certain someone who is capable of enrapturing all of your attention, and then allow the thought to slip away."

Knowing full well that Dumbledore must've been informed by an order member that he was dating someone, Harry did as the man asked. He thought of Emily, of her face, and her laughter. Of the way she would whisper things to him and kiss him. On how she felt beneath his body, how it felt when he was inside of her. Soon he had even forgotten Dumbledore was in front of him, and jerked when the man spoke again.

"Good, I can already tell how well you've done so far. Now start letting the thoughts of her fade from your mind. Slowly."

This was the hard part, Harry found himself agreeing. He was unable to completely clear Emily from his mind, no matter how hard he tried. Whenever he got close, he would find an errant though makes its way through. Still he kept at it.

"I think its time to see how well you are doing. I am going to press in on your thoughts now Harry, you will feel a strange mental sensation, do your best to keep your mind above your thoughts."

Harry immediately began panicking. Dumbledore wasn't suppose to ask him to think of Emily, only to break into his mind and see her. He mentally squashed every thought in his head, desperately hoping to avoid Dumbledore seeing him having sex with the Dark Lord. This was a terrible idea, as the more he pressed to suffocate those thoughts, the harder they swarmed his mind.

"Legilimens."

And as Harry felt the gentle probing of Dumbledore's legilimency, he found that the tables had turned. Thoughts of Emily started sliding through the cracks of his consciousness, like eels one tried grabbing with their bare hands.

"Simply marvelous, Harry. Such an incredible feat for one as young as yourself. I couldn't feel a single thought in your mind."

"Er, thank you, sir." Harry was reeling on the inside. All of a sudden, his thoughts had fled from him, the more he tried grasping at them, the more disoriented he had become. But now that the mental attack was over, his thoughts came flooding back, and Harry was so curious as to what happened he was tempted to ask his professor. He was able to hold back the urge, not wanting to arouse the man's curiosity or suspicion any further.

"I think that you have done quite well Harry, enough so that we can cut this meeting short. Continue practicing clearing your mind every night before bed. Become familiar with the feeling. We shall pick up the subject next week. Any questions?"

"No. Thank you. I appreciate the help."

"Alright then, do please enjoy the rest of your time tonight, Harry. I'm sure you will have quite busy days in the future. Enjoy the peace when you have it."

It was still early enough for him to swing by Emily's office for his lesson, so he pulled out his invisibility cloak and made his way there. With a little luck she wouldn't have made other plans for the night once she read his cancellation. He was just about to open the door to her office when it swung open and he saw her through the cloak.

"Glad you could make it. Lesson go well? Or poorly?"

"Yea, about that." Harry wasted no time in pulling off his cloak once he was securely inside her office before talking about the strange occurrence he had just been through. "So Professor Dumbledore used legilimency on me, but before that he told me I had to clear my mind. He told me to think of one thing that I could fill my mind with and then let it go. So, of course, I thought of you, and it worked to an extent, but I couldn't quite let the thought of you fade out. Any way, he said he was going to test me on it and I panicked, and only started thinking about all the things I didn't want him to see, but when he said the spell and I felt him touch my mind, well sorta touch my mind, it was weird. But when he started it, thoughts of you just started disappearing. I started freaking out, I didn't know what was going on, but I couldn't hold the thought of you in my head. It was all dissolving and I felt sluggish and a bit nauseous, and yet Dumbledore congratulated me a few moments later, telling me I had done really well, and I have no clue what happened." The entire story fumbled out of his mouth. Emily had started smirking at him halfway through his rambling, and in the back of his head he was relieved. She knew what was going on.

"Well Harry, remember that oath I asked you to make me months ago? That oath keeps you from revealing my secrets. Even if someone is rooting through your mind with legilimency, my secrets are safe inside you."

"So how am I going to really learn Occlumency?"

"Well you can try another approach, think of some different thing then allow that to fade away."

"I doubt that's gonna work. You're sorta always on my mind."

Her smile grew wider at that, he knew she had taken the awkward admittance as a compliment. "Well you can try meditation. Or, I can teach you. I am the only one who can sift through your head, without that oath getting in the way."

"One tiny problem with that. Dumbledore wants to see me next Monday again. So unless you think you can get me to clear my mind for step two by then, it wont be very useful."

"We actually don't need the time limit. You can continue your lessons with Dumbledore as such. When you feel the thoughts of me slipping away, allow them to, don't fight it, and proceed to the next steps. You can still learn the other steps from him, I will help you achieve step one, but first, seeing as you have some time tonight, lets start my own lesson."

"I am sure you remember, from the beginning of the school year, all of my lectures on dark magic. It takes a powerful negative emotion to fuel them. I have been thinking on what emotion you might hold that would fuel such casting. I have come up with two. One being your those reprehensible muggles you used to live with. The other being Severus Snape and his willingness to sacrifice you to save your mother along with his general treatment of you in the past."

Harry pondered her suggestions. While Harry could easily admit that there was no love lost between him and his relatives, he didn't particular hold any strong negative feeling for them. So that one was out. And his feeling regarding his Potion's professor were mixed. On one side he held the knowledge that to Snape he was an eyesore, a combination of his mother, who Snape loved, and his father, who Snape despised. In no way could Harry ever admit to liking the man and a tacit, mutual tolerance would always be the best outcome of their relationship. On the other side, he knew Snape truly loved his mother. A mother he may never have known, but Emily had spared no details of the man grovelling on his knees, begging for her to spare Lily Potter's life. That knowledge had put a hard limit on the amount of hate Harry could show towards the man as well.

"I don't think either of those will do. The emotions I feel for them aren't powerful enough. Not like the level of happiness I need to feel to cast a Patronus charm anyway."

He saw her frown, clearly she had expected him to hate something. But when Harry really thought hard about it, he found he didn't really have any hate at all. Except for...

"Peter."

"What?"

"My hate. If there is one person I hated, it was Peter Pettigrew. He willingly betrayed my parents to you, and he was supposed to be their friend. He got Sirius locked away for twelve years in Azkaban. If I consider your actions that night as a way to protect your own life, then I place the entirety of the blame on him. I think I always have. When I was younger I was terrified of you, but I truly have hated Peter ever since the moment I knew what he had done."

"Good then, we can use that. Now I want you to focus. Think on all that negativity. Draw other memories and times where you were angry too, but keep Peter as your focal point. Then I want you to fire the killing curse over there." She pointed to a wall in her office. "I will be able to see if you performed it correctly."

"Should I really be using my own wand to cast an Unforgivable Curse?"

"It only falls under that status if you use it on another living person, and even then there have been many cases where self defense has been argued."

Harry quieted down and did as she asked. Anger was something he was well acquainted with. It was an emotion he felt from as far back as he could remember. While he may not truly hate the Dursleys, he certainly never liked them, and their actions and treatment towards him inspired a great deal of anger. Holding onto that, he cast the curse, and felt a surprising rush when the magic pushed through him. It felt good, very good, for a brief moment, before his body was rocked with nausea.

"I think I'm going to be sick." The words barely escaped his mouth before he emptied his dinner onto the floor. The vomit remained on the floor for barely a moment before Emily had vanished it, indeed, Harry's body was still convulsing when it was gone.

"Well that was a powerfully negative reaction."

"What do you mean?" he groaned to her.

"Its rare, but every now and then you get a wizard or witch who can't stomach using Dark Arts. That's not really something I'm comfortable with you not being able to handle. Do it again."

"Jesus Christ, Emily. Give me a minute here."

"Fine." She took a deep breath, before letting it out in a huff. "I'm sorry. I just don't like the idea that you won't be able to perform these spells if you need them. I'm confident that you can push your way through the discomfort. You'll just have to use the spells enough that your body doesn't react this way."

Harry wrenched his body upright, despite the painful clenching in his gut to grab her hand. He waited until she was looking at him before giving her hand a squeeze. "Don't worry. We'll get through this. I'll learn the spells. By the end of the year, when we leave, you'll never have to worry about my safety again, I promise."

"A foolish promise you will never be able to keep. You could be my equal in strength and I would still worry for you. Its an inevitable feeling for the two of us. I know you feel it for me too. Such is a price we must pay for love."

"Then I will do my best to lessen that worry as much as possible. As long as you promise to do the same."

"Oh please, I am the epitome of careful planning. Every situation I go into I have multiple plans. Your fear is unnecessary."

"Yea, well you said it yourself, its something we are stuck with. Okay, I'm better, time to give it another go."

Harry repeated the spell quite a few times that night without much improvement. The only bright spot of the evening was that Emily said every single cast was successful. Harry was exhausted after using it so many times however, and his body reflected that. After the final curse, when his body collapsed, the convulsing wasn't limited to his gut. His entire body twitched, muscles screaming, even though he had not been doing anything physical.

Fortunately, Emily kept Pepper Up potion on hand at all times. Just in case she decided to keep him up all night. It would be useful now. A partial dose would give him the strength to make it to his bed in the Gryffindor tower. Though she did not give it to him immediately, she insisted he spend a good portion of an hour embracing her on the couch. She stroked his hair, as the shivers in his body slowly subsided, and he slowly returned to normal.

Once he was on his way back up to his dorm he was struck by the overall events of the evening. He doubted he would've been willing to put himself through such pain and misery for anyone else. And that realization told him quite a few things about how he truly felt for Emily Riddle.

* * *

Emily was lounging in her office. She still had a floo call to make before she could retire for the evening. A loose end had needed taking care of, and she wanted to be assured by Lucius himself that the deed had been carried out. With a sigh, she rose from her desk's chair and made her way to the fireplace. With a dash of blue powder, an utterance, and a flash of green, her head was floating in the Malfoy's floo room.

"Hello Lucius. All has proceeded as required I take it?"

Lucius had been dutifully awaiting his master's call. "Yes my lord. The devil's snare strangled Bode in his sleep. It has all been assumed to be a tragic accident. No one will connect the events to us or our plans."

"Good. That pleases me. Your ability is something I find most useful. I have some very important news for you. I will be departing for a year after the school year is complete. I will be absconding with the Potter boy, in order to train him properly in the Dark Arts."

The shock on the elder Malfoy's face was almost comical. "I had not realized that your desire to be appointed to Hogwarts, hinged on the opportunity to recruit Mr. Potter, my lord. May I offer my congratulations on your success, a feat I strongly doubt anyone but yourself could have accomplished."

"It has been far more difficult than you know, and yet also so very simple. Tell no one of this information. I will be wanting to use the boy's fame in the future in order to succeed in our goals. It would do us little if his status as the hero and savior of the wizarding world is tarnished. Is that clear?"

"Of course my lord, but his disappearance will cause waves. What are your plans to curb that?"

"I will be requiring the use of your connections in the prophet for that. The boy's muggle family treats him poorly. Which is not surprising, given that they are an exceptional breed of filth among an entire race of garbage. The story will be that of a simple run away. Keep the search for him here, and he and I shall travel to the continent."

"That's more than manageable. I will begin fabricating the story now, all you must do is give me a time to release it. It would be easier if you can convince the boy to be seen spending sometime with my son. A close friendship between them will provide an alibi for my coming across this information."

Trust Lucius to look to his own interests, even while following her orders. Even now he was attempting to gain sway over her Harry. Still, it would do well for Harry to remain near one of the few people who knew her secret in Hogwarts. Someone who she had already made ample threats to regarding his behavior aimed towards a specific Gryffindor. She would talk to him about it. To her knowledge, Draco had followed her orders well enough. Harry probably wouldn't balk at her for requesting such a favor.

"Good. Proceed accordingly. I will contact you at a later date." Emily abruptly ended the call.

Getting off of the floor, Emily slowly brushed herself off and left her office. Once inside her rooms, she went into her bedroom and flopped onto the bed. She was in a supreme case of denial, and she knew it. She was annoyed that she and Harry did not end up fooling around tonight. But seeing him struggle and seeing his pain, she just didn't feel that it would be right to push him for something that she knew he wouldn't be in the mood for. A laughable concept, considering she had once told him that she never asked for things, she only took what she wanted. The once universal fact now had an exception, but only in his case. She briefly debated masturbating, but decided against it. She didn't just want the sexual release, though that was a part of it, she wanted to express her love to Harry for trying so hard for her. It didn't help that, minus the vomiting, she found the flash of green light flying from his wand to be such a turn on. Knowing just what that light could do, and that she had been the one to teach it to him was quite arousing, not to mention an ego boost. For who other than Emily Riddle could teach a school boy how to cast the killing curse successfully on their first go, especially a person so ill suited to learn it.

Still, Harry was exceptional in his own right. She doubted that even she would have been able to have cast the curse so many times in a single night at his age. She would've burned herself out well before he did tonight, and he was still growing. Once he fully matured, he could have more raw magical power than Dumbledore or even herself. It was a prospect she looked forward to seeing in the future, and one she would do her best to cultivate in their year traveling together. Still dazedly thinking about things to come, Emily drifted off into sleep.

Time passed quickly, much to Emily's pleasure and dismay. She was happy for it meant that the time for Harry and herself to depart was drawing near. The disappointment stemmed from the reasons behind the swift passage. Both she and Harry were swamped with work, him in his preparations for OWLs, and her in preparing her fifth and seventh years for their OWLs and NEWTs. Add into that the excessive amount of extracurricular activities her lover seemed to be involved in and it was really him who had no time for her. He had even canceled their Saturday plans twice in the past three months, though in his defense, he had made up for one of them three days later, the fourteenth of February. He had stealthily made his way into her rooms with a box of chocolates, which she still believed were located somewhere under her bed. Needless to say the candies had been ignored and the next morning he had arrived to his first class with steam coming from his ears.

Some of her plans were still moving forward as they should, however. Harry could now cast a wide variety of illegal spells, though he couldn't cast the killing curse more than three times in a minute without getting ill. Still, he had improved, and she found it acceptable. She had worked with him in his Occlumency, though she learned very quickly not to press too hard with her mental attacks as they invariably rerouted through their connection and left Harry sobbing on the ground. It was one of the few incidents she would never admit to that made her cry. It had only taken twelve hour long meetings spanned over the course of six weeks for him to successfully clear his mind. Once he had done that and performed the rest of the necessary steps of Occlumency, she pressed him a little harder in an attempt to break into his mind and once again put him in incredible pain. It would seem that there was no way to weaken their connection other than physical space, and she was more than happy to know that.

The plans that ended in failure were also present. Her attempts to remove Sybill Trelawney were directly thwarted by Dumbledore. He had personally arrived when she gave the termination notice to Trelawney, comforting her and assuring her that Hogwarts could remain her home as long as she wished. Emily was annoyed that gaining the prophecy through the fraud would not be so simple. She then began planning a heist into the Ministry to steal the damned thing herself. She decided to do the act the day after Harry finished his final exam, just in case things went south, and she had to flee prematurely. Knowing the prophecy in full in order to keep Harry safe was far more important than her ability to operate in the shadows. Not that it mattered much, she had accomplished enough in the shadows in this past year. While it would be preferred to remain unknown, she was prepared to be thrust back into the public, worst case scenario.

She looked at her third year students taking their pop quizzes in front of her. Just five more weeks until Easter break. Harry was excited for the brief reprieve the break would give and he had already agreed to remain at Hogwarts with her for it. She had been delighted to hear that, and she had even made plans to purchase a broomstick so they could go out flying one night. She would make certain every precaution was taken against them being seen, but after seeing his Quidditch match two weeks before, the carefree smile on his face when he first rose into the air, she wanted to share that with him. And even though a broom was not very useful to her, as she was capable of unaided flight, she did not have the maneuverability that they possessed.

Harry had been kind enough to give her a warning that morning that he had overheard the Weasley twins planning a large prank on the first of April. He told her he doubted it had anything to do with her, and to be honest so did she, but he had wanted her aware. He gave no further details so she assumed he hadn't heard anything else. Though she was an evil and psychotic witch, she enjoyed the ingenuity that the two gingers came up with. She would not interfere unless it was needed.

When the bell rang the student gloomily rose from their desks to hand in the incomplete tests. She had made them massive, comprised of information from first year to second. It was meant to not be finished by anyone other than the best of students. It allowed her to see where each student stood and they would be graded on the portions they had successfully completed. Within reason, of course. If a few students barely passed question twenty, she would fail them. She made her way to the Great Hall for lunch only to find scores of students standing idly by, gawking at the scene before them.

"No way Scarhead, using a blasting hex wouldn't affect a complicated ward system like the one Professor Hurst laid out for us. You would have to have someone remove at least two layers before they'd even have a chance."

"That's what I was just saying, Ferret. Maybe Professor Moody didn't transfigure your ears back properly last year, seems you still can't hear very well."

She supposed it was quite a sight to see. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy walking together towards the Great Hall for lunch. She had made the request to Harry and he had begrudgingly accepted, and by that she meant he refused and she pouted long enough for him to acquiesce. As for Draco, he was ordered to do so by his father, and she was certain he hadn't forgotten her own set of threats. The official story was that the two of them were paired up in her defense class, working together to make an essay about destroying a hastily crafted, but layered ward system. They were on the right track though. They actually only HAD to remove one ward layer to blast their way through, but it had to be the proximity layer. They would figure it out eventually, though, they were both quite bright, even if Draco was pathetically lazy.

"Less bickering in the hallways boys, lest I be forced to dock some points." Apparently they had not noticed her presence and they both jerked around when she spoke to them so firmly.

Draco went pale and nodded while Harry gave her a bright smile, before apologizing. The two then made their way to the Great Hall for the meal. She smirked at the situation. The students around her were murmuring to themselves about what they had just witnessed, so she assumed the whole story had yet to really circulate. No matter, it would soon enough. As for right now, she had a craving for the Lancashire hotpot she knew the elves had prepared today.

A/N:So... if anyone can guess which country the majority of the next book takes place in... I don't know, I'll give you a gold star. Send me a PM if you do have a guess and I'll tell you if its wrong or right.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: So, I have managed to snag some time off of work... like a whole week. And I plan on really knuckling down and pumping out this thing. Like I am aiming for a chapter a day, Monday-Friday. So expect an update tomorrow and the day after, etc. My goal is to either make it to the climax or at the very least be on the chapter that has it when this break ends. I want this sucker to be complete and if I must sit at my computer for 8 hours a day to do so, then so be it. ^_^ Please enjoy, chapter 21.

Chapter 21

Harry Potter took a deep breath. He really did love the fresh air more when he was taking it in a hundred feet off the ground. It was the Gryffindor Quidditch team's last practice before the Easter break, and they all acted as such. If Oliver Wood had been in charge, they would've had their noses ground into the dirt, but under the guidance of Angelina Johnson, this practice was more of a friendly get together.

Angelina rarely put Harry through his paces, she knew his talent and honestly didn't see much of a point in trying to develop it. She didn't really know how. So as long as he showed up to practice and did the team drills, he was normally in the clear as far as his duties related to the seeker position. For the rest of the practice he would fill in as an opposition of sorts for everyone else. While he may not have cultivated much skill in the roles of chaser, beater, and keeper, his skill and reflexes allowed him to assist his team well enough.

The position he seemed the most suited for after seeker seemed to be chaser, though he wasn't sure if that was his own ability or his best friend's lack. Ron Weasley had been chosen at the beginning of the year as the new keeper for the team, Angelina had been hoping he would follow in his many brother's footsteps. And while at times, Ron showed himself to be an excellent keeper, the slightest bit of pressure made his ability to perform vanish. With the Gryffindor's second game of the year two weeks after the break, everyone was hoping for either Ron making a breakthrough or Harry managing an early capture.

Harry did his best not to draw attention to Ron's poor plays outside the pitch. His friend didn't need that. Unfortunately for Ron, Harry really had no idea how to help him. Harry had never struggled with nerves that were strong enough to throw him off of his game. So before every practice Harry wished Ron the best of luck and they both did their best.

Angelina bid them all a good night when the sun began to set. Harry hurried to his dorms, intent on finishing up as much of his school work as he could before break began. Emily hadn't told him what her plans were precisely, but she had given him the assignment for her class two weeks early and told him to get as much of his work done as he was able. Naturally, he assumed whatever she did have planned, would involve him not being able to study much.

Instead of remaining in his common room, Harry went directly to his dorms. Pulling out his potion's book and his first draft of his essay, he laid prone on his stomach, head facing the foot of the bed and started writing. While Harry had yet to achieve an Outstanding on any of his potion's assignments, he had not received anything lower than acceptable. While Emily admitted to him that she was quite a capable brewer of potions, she was not a master. It was one of the reasons she valued Snape so much. She had yet to find something he could not create for her.

The essay went slowly, and it was closer to midnight than eleven by the time he was done. Still not too bad, considering the late start and the fact that it had been meant to be completed over the course of ten days. If there was one thing Harry was positively looking forward to on his trip with Emily, it was the fact that she told him he would be done with all the writing. The knowledge that these were the last few essays he would have to bother with helped him chew through them.

Putting his things, carefully and quietly, back in his trunk, Harry returned to bed. One more day of class and then freedom, for a week at least.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was becoming increasingly worried. There had been no open moves by Voldemort to obtain the prophecy for months, and then out of the blue, in early December, either she or her followers had attempted to imperius Boderick Bode to steal it for her. Thankfully the protections on the prophecy kept it safe, but it was at Bode's unfortunate expense. Albus held onto a small sliver of hope that when Boderick recovered, he may be willing to lend his voice to Albus's cause in announcing Voldemort's return. Only that would never happen now, as the man had been murdered. The papers had reported it as a tragic accident, but Albus wasn't as gullible as the rest of the population. He hadn't been born yesterday after all, nor in this century, as a matter of fact.

He had, of course, informed the Order immediately when he became aware of the news. It had been a good and a bad thing. There had been nothing to report since the break out from Azkaban, and no news was bad new in regards to the majority of those who escaped.

"What are you planning next, Emily?" he mused aloud.

Had the man been able to guess that she was planning a world wide excursion with her teenaged lover, he may have retired then and there. Fortunately for him, such outlandish thoughts stayed away, and he pondered over more realistic goals she might have. Fawkes trilled to him lowly, as if offering comfort. He smiled at his feathered comrade, closing his tired eyes, leaning back in his desk's chair. The answers would come eventually, he could only hope they would be fast enough for him to act in the best interests of everyone whom her goals threatened.

* * *

Emily dismissed her last class that Friday with a large smile on her face. Her students knew all to well why she was smiling, after all, wasn't everyone was ready for the upcoming break from the hustle and bustle of the school?

Quickly, she made her way to her rooms. Normally it was expected for professors to remain available to their students on Friday evenings before enjoying the weekend, but Emily had far more important things to do than reminding a third year how to handle a boggart. Lucius had sent her an owl with a vague reference regarding 'urgent news' and though the man was known for being dramatic, he knew better than to waste her time, so whatever it was most likely needed her immediate attention.

Not wanting to remain inside the castle, in case a student chose to attempt to bother her for help, she flooed to the Malfoy residence. Once there, she had barely made her way to the door before a sharp crack informed her of the arrival of a house elf.

"Master was not expecting you so soon, miss. He is in his study."

Resisting the urge to kick the little beast as she passed, she made her way to his office. It was the same room she had cornered him in during the summer. Without bothering to knock, she opened the door and walked directly inside, giving the blond man quite the shock. He had been sipping a beverage from a wine glass, before choking on it at her loud entry. His face took on a deep red hue as his coughing fit lasted almost a minute. Ordinarily she would curse the man for his inability to perform such basic tasks, like drinking, but she had to admit it was quite the entertaining sight. Of course there were spells to clear one's airways, but it would not be often that she would get the chance to see the prim and proper Malfoy patriarch asphyxiate himself.

Her wish was to be denied as he eventually regained his breath. "My apologies, my Lord. Your arrival was quite unexpected."

"Something that surprises me, considering the urgency of your letter. What is it?"

"Ah, yes. That. I suppose I could've phrased it better, as urgent may not have been the best term. It does, however, regard the prophecy, which you have stated remains an utmost priority. I have a date in which the ministry will be almost entirely empty. Skeleton crew only. June 13th, a day that coincides with the last day of the Hogwarts exams just so happens to be the day were the wards are refreshed in certain key points in the ministry."

This information was priceless. If they were going to be doing wide scale wards, the ministry would have to be practically empty. If a witch or wizard walked through a ward as it was being laid down, their magic would interfere with the ward itself. There were a couple of shield charms to avoid this, but they were complicated and not many could cast them. She wouldn't have any trouble though. It would be an in and out job.

"Excellent. You have served me well Lucius. Knowing the full details behind that prophecy will benefit not only our cause, but also shed some light onto what power the Potter boy may hold. I am most curious about it. I will have to ask that you find a way to thin the auror department out that day, however. Just because the number of people may be far lower than normal, it doesn't guarantee success. And while I can easily fight my way through the entirety of the auror corps, it's a hassle I would rather not bother with, not to mention it completely announcing my return."

"I doubt there will be a problem with that. A few sightings of the Lestranges in a couple areas, combined with a small attack in a muggle town should call most of them away. At the very least, tie them up for a handful of hours. What time should I aim for, preferably?"

"Seven in the evening. Most people will have left by then, and even fewer will remain due the ward reconstruction. Get me all the information you can as to the layout of the department of mysteries. Whatever the means, I don't care if a few corpses need to pile up for it to happen."

"Consider it done, my Lord."

Emily sighed. This was a break that she had needed. The breaking into the ministry had been the crux of the entire plan. One she had actively avoided considering for as long as possible. It would have been much easier if she could convince Harry to steal it, but there were far to many unknown and potentially lethal things going on in that place. And besides, why send a school boy to do a woman's job anyway.

"Have a set of Death Eater robes and mask prepared for me. If I am seen, best that I be confused with one of my followers than myself."

"That's... actually very practical. However, won't it be obvious to them that it is you when the prophecy goes missing? Seeing as only you and Potter can touch it."

She hadn't thought of that. She would have to focus harder. If being seen as a Death Eater would give her away, then what would be the best way to approach this. Polyjuice was her preferred go to method of disguise, but she had no idea how long the venture might take, and knew that there were many safeguards around the ministry for such potions. The department of mysteries was probably riddled with them as well. If only she could send Harry, this would be so much easier. His age would allow him to bypass most of the wards and would also protect him if he were to be caught. She did not like the conclusion she was coming to.

No, there had to be another way. Unless... unless she went with him.

Yes, that was it. They would go together. She would use his cloak to remain invisible. She was lucky it was such a powerful cloak actually, she had tried countless times to summon it off of him when she knew he was around her, but it always failed. A peculiar feature, but undeniably useful. She began pondering the thought some more. She would like to experiment with it some, find out just how untraceable it was. Still, that could come later, first things first.

Break into the ministry with him, steal the prophecy. Better yet, smash it and listen to it there. Vanish the evidence, even conjure up a fake replacement in case things went perfectly. It wouldn't hold up to close scrutiny, but it would do for passing glances. Flee and if the worst case scenario came to pass, apparate out. Leave him if the situation got bad enough, return to Hogwarts and wait for the old fool Dumbledore to sort things out and bring him back to her. Then, either wait out the year, or if things were looking bad enough, convince him to leave the grounds of his own free will and leave early. The plan not only could not fail, but it was simple. Dumbledore would never allow his poster boy to suffer at the hands of the ministry and as the boy's headmaster, he also held complete jurisdiction over his fate while he was a minor.

"I've come up with a way around that issue. I do believe that concludes my time here, Lucius." With that, Emily left the room. As she walked down the hallway, she fought hard against the urge to giggle gleefully. Things were finally working out the way she needed them to. She was going to get everything she ever desired, even the things she didn't know she wanted. It was all too perfect.

Arriving back into her quarters, she made her way to her bedroom. Her lessons with Harry hadn't slowed, but she wasn't quite as fervent that he need to progress so rapidly. Indeed, the speed in which he learned the basics of the dark arts showed his incredible potential. In her rooms, she knelt to reach under her bed and pulled out a small trunk, before upending the contents onto her bed. Many magically shrunken tomes were spread out over her sleeping place, and she sifted her hands through them, searching for the next one she wanted her favorite student to start studying. Many of the books she gave him she only required him to read certain parts. They had been through many of the volumes already. While most of the magical theory she went over with him verbally, she would still have him read as much as he could to minimize the time they spent on things. It had proven effective so far.

Finally find the correct spell book, she waved her wand, repacking the mess into the miniature trunk before another wave sent it lazily back under her bed. Binding spells and practices would be next. He would take to these better, she felt. He was so soft hearted, the idea of killing still bothered him greatly, and there were always multiple spells and magical means to do a task. Between body binds and leg locker curses to paralyzing potions and sleeping draughts, all were ways to take someone out, be it in a fight or some other altercation. He had so much to cover, and in this free week of theirs she would move to pour as much knowledge into his head as possible. She would make certain to provide him with enough pleasure to make their time fun, but she wouldn't allow him to needlessly dawdle. She had a deadline, a point in time where he absolutely needed to be able to to fend for himself should things go wrong. Fortunately he was under the tutelage of herself, so it wasn't a question of whether or not it was possible, but more of a matter of how fast she could get it done.

Slipping the small book into her robes she made her way to the room of requirement, knowing that he would be there waiting for her.

* * *

Harry was enjoying a brief moment of solitude. Emily had told him to wait in the room of requirement for her arrival and she had yet to show. While at one point, this may have worried him, he had more faith in her in the present. He knew she wouldn't do anything to blow her cover, and was most likely held up by something trivial. So he was relaxing on the bed that was now almost as familiar to him as his own four poster bed in the dorms.

'I wonder what we are going to start looking at now?' he thought. In the past, Harry would never have been called studious. While he wasn't directly opposed to making effort in his studies, his mindset followed Ron's, in that the time could be spent doing something better, or at least, funner. Now however, things were different. He had to know more, be stronger, more capable. Things he could not make strides in while playing Quidditch or snogging Emily.

Curling his legs upwards, he sprung up from the bed with a grunt, mentally asking the room to change into Emily's training area. It was how they referred to things, the bedroom being Harry's room, and this being Emily's. Closing his eyes allowed the transition to pass more easily for him, as the one time he had watched the room change the sight made his head hurt, as though his brain had not been able to handle the complete morphing of his surroundings. Opening his eyes once he felt the magic of the room settle allowed him to see the wider expanse. The floor was still stone, but lines of white were everywhere, sectioning off certain things.

Right now he was in the 'dueling arena', a long and thin marked off section that he and Emily rarely used. Emily found it distasteful as it offered few options in regards to evasion, something that a true fight did not. Emily was also not a fan of professional duelists, thinking them to be weaker than many as they fell into habits. Something which she admonished him for frequently. Gone were the times where the first spell off of his lips was a disarming charm. She had broken him of that. While it was still a spell he used in every fight, he rarely allowed himself to be so predictable that it was the first. Emily herself had failed in taking her own advice, as she had fallen in the habit of him never using the disarming charm first, that he managed to surprise her with it last week. It was the only time he had bested her, but he felt that she had given him the 'victory' as he was certain she had a backup plan for being disarmed. His lover had a backup plan for everything.

The rest of the room was simple in design. The wider area had some scatterings of stones approximately two and a half feet high, not the most desired cover with how low they were, but they worked well enough. The could take about six killing curses from Emily before they were completely blasted apart. Eight of his own. Not that they ever used that spell against on another, but she had wanted to demonstrate the differences in their power. She had told him many times that she would make him great and when he had asked her what she had meant by that, she told him he had talent. He asked for a better explanation and she gave it to him. She had told him he had a lot of magic, which was pretty much the only thing that really prevented a person from becoming truly powerful. What was more, was the fact that he was fast. While he couldn't fire off magic like she could, he came close, and that was saying something for someone of his age. She had told him he would only get faster. Lastly was his agility. He had laughed at her, asking how that was different from being fast, and she had given him a harsh rebuke. Firing spells fast meant you had a fast hand, but being able to move your entire body with that speed was another matter.

Once during a duel of theirs, she had sent three stinging hexes at him in rapid succession. He had moved through them at a full sprint, tilting his body left and right. The movements being made in halves of seconds. She had been so shocked that her shield to block his disarming charm had barely formed for his spell to dissipate on it. By then he was so close to her that he couldn't block her stunner, and he still lost, but she praised him for his dodging and then yelled at him for running head first into his enemy's spells.

All he now needed were more spells and the intuitive knowledge of which spell to use in a certain situation. Both things she claimed she could fill his gaps in faster than anyone else.

"You are already so amazing right now, Harry. You just need to patch up those holes in your abilities and you could best even Dumbledore."

Harry had basked in the compliment and worked harder. Learning new spells were still a chore to him, something he was never the best at, but he managed at his own pace. He just put more time into it, which was impressive seeing as he had such little free time as it was. Still the upcoming week would hold plenty of opportunities for learning and fooling around with his girlfriend.

The door to the room opened and he didn't bother looking to see who it was. There wasn't a need for it. He could tell it was Emily just from the footfalls. She had a brisk and heavy pace most of the time, unless she was craving him, then she moved lighter on her feet, but at the same tempo. He had once asked her if she ever slowed down, to which she told him that there was never a need to. The world would eventually catch up, or else she would force it to. Had his eyes been on her, he would have noticed the rapidly expanding book falling through the air, its trajectory aimed right for his right shoulder. Unfortunately for him, they remained averted and the impact was inevitable. Had the book been any larger or thrown any harder it may have done some real damage, but as it was it still jarred him hard enough for his wand to be dislodged from his hand. He heard Emily then summon it and knew that had been her aim the entire time.

"Did my follower not teach you the importance of 'constant vigilance' well enough last year? I'm starting to think Barty's brief stint in Azkaban was far too short, considering how terribly his lesson's seemed to stick with you."

"I knew it was you. Forgive me for thinking my girlfriend wouldn't chuck a book at me. Last I checked, I haven't pissed you off recently enough for you to be tossing things at me."

"Its never you who pisses me off, Harry, its always someone else. You just happen to be the person I vent to."

"Then vent a little less." Harry couldn't help but see her wide smile, and he knew something was up. She was normally more reserved with her happiness , even with him, so if she was so openly happy, that meant something happened in her favor. "Why do you look as though you've run over a muggle family?" The joke may not have been funny in any circumstance, but he hadn't meant it to be. He was sort of worried that someone had paid a terrible price to make her happy.

"There are things that make me happy other than senseless murder, you know. Well, you should anyway, you are one of them after all."

"So that smile is all for me, huh? Why do I doubt that?"

"All of my smiles are all for you. No one else appreciates them like you do. But there may, perhaps, be another reason for it. Care to take a guess?"

"I'm assuming its something to do with the Easter hols. Or maybe the book you tried to take my head off with. Both?"

"Neither, though it was a good guess. The Easter hols are going to be pretty straight forward. A lot of 'us' time, mainly. Mostly spent covering the aforementioned book, which will teach you most ways to incapacitate a person without lethal force. Something I imagine you will stomach more easily than dark magic. The rest of it you will spend in bed, probably chained. Sounds perfect doesn't it?"

"Not too sure about the chains part, but the bed part sounds decent. The learning part isn't bad either, especially the magic." Harry took a glance at the book on the floor nearby, "That's a fairly big book, all spells?"

"Not quite. There are sections that cover potions, poisons and even a few pages dedicated to runes and wards. But yes, it is mostly spells. Quite the section of human transfiguration. Something you shouldn't struggle with unduly. You are aware that its hard to transfigure living things, but you have no idea how hard it is to transfigure people against their will. Their magic fights yours, as does their will, but you have excessive amounts of magic and will so I doubt you will face any great struggles there. You'll have to be wary of that conscience of yours though. If your conscience fights you when you try to transfigure a person, your willpower will be in the toilet. So if you are going to bother, be certain of it."

He remembered the fake Moody's transfiguration of Draco Malfoy the previous year and smiled. Few moments brought a smile to his face faster than that. "Does taking someone by surprise help?" he asked.

"Yes, actually. But most don't bother with transfiguration, when they have that element. Why bother with that when you can use a surefire method of suppression like stunning or a body bind? You wouldn't, unless you're attempting to prove a point."

Harry felt like a point was definitely being proven in that moment in the past, given the lecture Moody had given the ferret. And then the professor had been on the receiving end of a lecture from Harry' s head of house, Professor McGonagall.

"Well, when should we start?" he wasn't particularly eager to delve into the studying, after all classes had barely been over for more than an hour. He knew better than to argue with Emily's schedule, however. Better to follow her itinerary, for a little while anyway. Luck was on his side however as the room of requirement suddenly shifted to his room, giving him a small jolt of pain in his head and forcing him to close his eyes. When he reopened them a moment later, Emily had closed the distance between them, being less than a foot from him now, with a hand resting on his chest.

"Tomorrow. Right now, all I want is you." With a small push from her, he landed on top of the bed as she began pulling off her robes. It was going to be a long night, but that was fine, he had nothing to do the next day.

* * *

The week of freedom flew by as a normal break should. Too fast. Together they had combed through the old book Emily had brought looking for spells that appealed to him the most. He learned anywhere from three to six spells each day. Some could punch through a shield, some were hard to see, each was varied and could serve multiple situations. Emily said he was expanding his arsenal, and he had to ask her if that was really a good thing.

"If I know so many spells, how will I know which spell will be the best in a given moment. How will I be able to keep up with that pace mentally?"

"Relax Harry. You're a doer. When you're thrust into the thick of it, you'll manage. That's just how you are. You just need to make sure that these spells become second nature to you."

"All that talk of making me into a powerful wizard, and all you're doing is shoving more spells down my throat."

"Maybe that's all it takes."

"If that were so, I doubt that you're the only one who could make me into such a strong wizard."

"Baby steps, Harry. There is more I will show you, but for now lets start with the basics. You think Dumbledore or myself were casting the most incredible feats of magic at fifteen? No, it took many years until that could happen, and yes, I suppose anyone could mold you into an incredible wizard. But only I can do it in the year that we will be gone."

"Heh. Still not telling me where we are going?"

"I already have. A little bit of everywhere. Let me plan the details, you just bring yourself."

"Uh-huh, have I told you lately how much I love being the puppet on your strings?"

"Considering you haven't left me yet, I feel as though its implied."

The week was a brief taste of what things would be like when they left. They spent almost the entirety of each day with one another and Harry felt as far as trial runs went, it was about as perfect as could be. They didn't really argue too much, but then again as long as they stayed away from a couple of certain topics, they never did. It was his personality he figured. They coexisted so well because he was so flexible around her rigidness. It was only when she pressed on something he wouldn't cave to her for that the problems arose. It was then that he found that she was capable of bending too, at least for him.

The first night of the break she had told him to meet her on the Quidditch pitch at midnight. When he arrived he was surprised to find that she not only had a broom of her own, but that she had also somehow managed to swipe his own from his dormitory. He was not surprised that, like everything else she did, Emily was also an exceptional flier. He still managed to outstrip her fairly easily considering his broom was of a higher quality and he did have more talent for the activity than she did. She told him that she had measures in place so that they would not be discovered, but he did not find out what they were until the third night. That night had been like the nights previous, until the end when a loud wailing filled the air. Emily had immediately immobilized him while still in midair, something he was still amazed by. He had to have been going at least a hundred kilometers an hour and she easily picked him off with one spell, all the while approaching him on her own broom. In less than eight seconds after the sound started she was already wrapping his invisibility cloak around the two of them as they descended to the ground. When they landed, he saw Madame Hooch enter the pitch looking for who had been flying. Emily canceled the caterwauling charm she had placed in case someone approached approximately one minute after her colleague appeared, and Hooch, assuming the culprits had escaped, left the pitch.

Even though the castle had thinned out, many students remained, especially the ones who had their standardized tests at the end of the year. Emily seemed to care little about the fact that they were not alone and frequently spent large amounts of time with him in the castle. A fact that he felt someone had to notice and question, but no one did. She would often stop by the Gryffindor table during meals and would engage Hermione in various debates that ended in her being seated there for the entire meal.

"And what do you feel about Grindelwald's approach in unifying the European nations under a might makes right ideology, Ms. Granger?"

"Well, other than the fact that it was a terrible one? I mean, let's be realistic, who would honestly think that muggles would bow down to wizards once Grindelwald managed to break the statute of secrecy. Even if he did manage to plunge the world into a planet wide war, magicals versus muggles, the number of muggles are just far too great. Billions of them where as there may be, what, three million witches and wizards in the world."

"A fair point, but magic plays a greater role than you think. Grindelwald would have most likely imperiused many muggle government officials in order to push his plans along. Billions of them there may be, they are mostly powerless without the little bit of order their government provides them."

"Oh, please, just look at the yanks overseas. From what I am aware, everyone there has the ability to acquire a firearm with incredible ease, and I don't see the average wizard holding up to well against those kinds of weapons."

"But we are talking about Europe, not America. Harry, what do you think?"

"Er," He had not been paying too much attention, trying his best to act as though she was not beside him. Quickly running down what he had overheard in the background, he pieced together an argument on the fly. "Well, as far as our country is concerned, I'd have to side with Professor Hurst. Imperius the Prime Minister, and have the muggles chase their own tails. Grindlewald didn't really come here though, scared of Dumbledore, so I guess my opinion is sort of invalid."

Harry was paranoid to an extreme by her presence, but no one came to her to speak of any misconduct. He had asked her about it and she told him why no one had and why no one would.

"I was not hired by Dumbledore, Harry, I was placed here by the ministry. I don't have to follow the standard rules here as I am only here for the year. I also look and claim to be significantly younger than I am, so its not really looked down upon the fact that I have struck up a friendly relationship with a female student like Ms. Granger, whose disciplinary record is far cleaner than your own might I add. The staff sees me as a temporary problem that will fade soon enough and would rather not rile me up, considering the power I hold over their positions. Though McGonagall has spoken to me about it in private. She has urged me to not continue sitting at your table with Ms. Granger when break ends as it would be a blatant display of favoritism. I'll stop when school resumes."

Accepting her answer was easy enough and Harry relaxed to her presence during meals. He even found himself being pulled into their debates more often than not and was surprised to find out he agreed with Emily more than his best friend. Ron didn't really interact with them too much, but one day when Hermione was delayed in the library, Emily conjured up a chess set and trounced Ron pretty handily. Ron had told Harry later that having to move the pieces himself and the fact that the muggle set didn't have any personality to it was a heavy factor that contributed to his loss. Harry could only nod, not having a full understanding of just how Ron approached and played chess, but in the end he chalked it up to Emily not being bad at anything.

It was Saturday night that they returned to their normal schedule. Which wasn't much of a change considering most of his Saturday's involved spending hours in bed with her anyway. Sunday was spent with Ron and Hermione, both of whom acted as though he had not been absent for most of the break. He was happy that they were so willing to give him space regarding his new relationship, but felt bad that their time together was limited. He voiced this to Hermione who told him that Ron was actually fairly hacked off at him for being gone so much, but held his tongue because he wasn't sure if confronting Harry about it would cause Harry to choose his relationship with Astoria over his friendship with Ron. In Ron's mind, it was better to let Harry figure out how to balance his time between everyone, or at least that's what he thought after Hermione had explained why Harry hadn't around much. Easter break had passed without much fuss, and yet he still had no clue why Emily was so happy when it began.

A/N: Shout out to deepdiver in regards to the scene where Hermione and Emily interact. He made a suggestion that they have a debate where Harry was suprised to find himself agreeing with Emily. I liked the idea and plopped it in here. I want to include Ron more in this story, but the struggle has been somewhat real as JK made his character very weak, and my desire to stick with as much cannon as i can forces me to stay away from him. And spoiled, immature brat from poor family doesn't really flow well. Oh well, he gets his time soon enough. Be on the look out for chapter 22 tomorrow. Sorry if the editting is a bit off, I'm tired and my eyes may have glazed over some paragraphs.

A/N*: Thanks for the catch Ben, I missed that. Super tired ^_^. You rock.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Mostly a comedic relief chapter, with some plot pushing. Situation three happened to a friend of mine, so I made some 'minor' adjustments and threw it in here.

Chapter 22

Frustration was a feeling Harry was used to. Normally through the fact that that almost every situation in which he found himself helpless also involved a large threat towards his life. Therefore, one could also say that Harry Potter could handle greater degrees of frustration better than others. That would be a lie, however, because he was a teenager and all teenagers deal with frustration in a passive aggressive manner. The second match of the year was well underway and Harry was desperately searching for a glint of gold that would save the rapidly failing situation. The Hufflepuff team was taking advantage of Ron's rapidly failing confidence and flew wildly towards that end of the pitch.

Summerby, the Hufflepuff seeker, didn't even bother looking for the snitch, as he aided the chasers, even scoring a handful of goals himself. It was clear they were attempting to pull as many points as possible rather than sending their relatively new seeker toe to toe against Harry and his Firebolt. A good strategy that was working wonders as Harry had not seen the snitch, and the match had been going on for twenty minutes. In such a short time, the Hufflepuffs had already score fifteen goals versus Gryffindor's six. A ninety point disparity that was only increasing.

The loud shrill whistle from Madame Hooch signaled that a timeout had been called. Harry flew down to his team mates, noticing that Ron was the first one there. He looked haggard, almost sick, and when Angelina landed he even turned a little green. She didn't bother dressing him down though, and proceeded instead to give Harry flack.

"Find that snitch, Harry. You have no opposition, no distractions, just get it done. You have fifteen minutes. That about as long as we can hold off a four man formation. Understood?"

"Got it."

"Back it the air everyone. Ron, buck up, we need to buy Harry fifteen minutes."

They returned to the air and it was like someone had flipped a switch in Ron's head. Whether it was the fact that he now had a time limit or whether he just let it all go, it was almost like he could do no wrong. Every decision he made, every turn of his broom led his hands to close around the quaffle. The gap started closing between the two teams and suddenly Summerby was outside the thick of things to look for the snitch.

The game ended within fifteen minutes as Angelina had asked and the score had shrunk from a ninety point deficit to thirty, giving them the win with a hundred and twenty. Ron had seemingly found his break and the entirety of Gryffindor tower celebrated well into the night because of it. Harry even bailed on his plans with Emily, to celebrate his win in her own special way, because he knew that this was Ron's moment, and he needed to be here to experience it with him.

The next morning was a rough Wednesday. Lack of sleep and yawns filled every class he had. It didn't particularly help that his defense against the dark arts professor was glaring at him profusely. Emily seemed to have taken his rejection personally, and though he had explained it to her in his note, she apparently wanted to hold a grudge. He'd figure out some way to make it up to her at a later time.

If Harry had thought that the year up until now had been busy, he would now be willing to change that idea. How Wood had been able to practice with them so late into the year, almost daily and still take his NEWTs was beyond Harry's ability to understand. But then again, he remembered Wood telling him he played for Puddlemore United nowadays, so maybe he didn't prioritize his studies.

Ron was by and large unaffected by the increase in workload. While he did study a fair amount, it was at his own leisurely pace. When Hermione berated him for it, he asked her why it mattered, she would beat him in every test no matter what. Hermione had given him a cold look, before telling him that the tests weren't competitions, that they were important and he should have the decency to know when a friend was trying to look out for him, before storming off. It was after that where Ron could be seen staying in the common room late at night, taking notes and practicing spells. He had complained to Harry one morning about the unfairness of it all.

"I'm not as magically strong as you, nor am I as smart as Hermione. My head is geared more towards strategy than books and these tests won't measure that. The only thing I have on my side is that I can memorize things really well. Should scrape me through the written bits just fine, but its the practical I'm worried about."

Harry, not happy to see his friend upset, agreed to take Ron out for an hour a week to practice all the first to fifth year spells. It was bloke time, something he didn't really know he wanted until he had some of it. Kind of like sex with Emily. Sure girls were pretty, but it wasn't until Emily practically forced herself onto him that he realized what a great way to spend time it was. Same with hanging out with just Ron, whether it be practicing charms on pillows in the common room or sneaking under his invisibility cloak, shooting minor hexes at Pansy Parkinson. Draco had been more than tolerable lately, and Emily had informed him that Pansy had pissed her off in the beginning of the year, so if he were to prank someone, it should be her.

Harry, knowing that one of the few things uglier than the words that came out of the girl's mouth was the nose on her face, was only too happy to concede to her desire. So, in the beginning, all of Ron and Harry's practice involving minor jinxes and hexes were expended on the Slytherin girl. The had spent almost one entire hour casting stinging hexes at her backside. They stopped early when the girl burst into tears before fleeing to her common room. Knowing they had probably gone too far, they switched their target to Crabbe and Goyle. The two were still mostly glued to Malfoy and when they were Harry and Ron let them be. But on the rare occasion the two were found with out their blond third wheel, Harry and Ron were merciless. Where as Pansy was downright unpleasant and spiteful, Crabbe and Goyle were dumb and hateful. Earlier in the year Harry had stunned the two when he had seen them cornering a third year as he was sneaking around to meet Emily late one night. He didn't get to ask the boy what it was about as he had scampered off immediately as they fell, but Harry figured the two older boys had probably started it. Harry had a large amount of dislike for bullies, which was the worst bit of irony, seeing as he was fully aware he was dating the worst of them.

Over the next few days following the Quidditch match, Emily's attitude remain surly towards him. He had tried apologizing and repeating his explanation of why he needed to be there for his friend, but he couldn't even tell if she was even listening. Whenever they were alone the only way he could get her to look him in the eye was by kissing her, and that led to them getting so carried away that by the time he wanted to talk to her again, it was hours later and she was back to ignoring him.

Harry took a seat in an armchair in the common room, with his friends. Ron was asking Hermione questions from their history of magic textbook and if one were to go by the amount of times Hermione pulled the book from him to look at its contents, one could assume he was doing it poorly. Or at least, not in the way she wanted him to.

"Hermione, may I ask you something?"

"One second, Harry. Ron, why even bother asking a question about the giant wars in the thirteenth century. That's not material that is encompassed by our OWLs."

"I was getting tired of you answering everything right. So I asked you something you shouldn't have known, and you knew it anyway. Don't know what you're so chuffed about, you'll ace everything they throw at you."

"Not the point. What was it you wanted to ask me, Harry?"

"I bailed on a date with my girlfriend. My reasons were good, but she's really holding it over my head. Giving me the cold shoulder and whatnot. What should I do about it?"

"Its probably just basic jealousy Harry. You and her have been together for months now, its only natural that she be more possessive of you and your time. Set aside some time to be with her, one on one, and things should get better."

While the advice sounded good, it didn't hold water. Hermione, knowing the nature of his relationship as being very secretive, should've already known all the time he spent with his girlfriend was private, and thus far had not solved his problem. It was Ron who swooped in and saved the day. He moved to sit beside Harry and whispered, "You're dating a snake Harry, she's probably being that way because she wants something from you."

Once again, the realization hit Harry like a brick in the face. He wasn't just dating some random girl his age. He was dating a Dark Lord who was decades older than him, despite what she looked like. She was mature enough to know that he couldn't spend all his time with her, and even if she was upset by it, she was more than capable of understanding his reasoning. Ron was right, this was her attempt to get him to do something. What it was, he didn't know, but he would get to the bottom of it now rather than beat around the bush any longer.

"See you both later." Harry hadn't made it more than a couple of feet before Hermione stopped him with her voice.

"Don't get caught outside after curfew Harry. I won't bother telling you not to go at all, as its only a few minutes until then anyway, but be careful."

"Don't worry Hermione, I've got _those_ things with me. I'll be fine."

Quickly exiting the portrait hole and giving a quick look around before donning on his cloak, Harry made his way to Emily's quarters. On the way there his mind started thinking up all sorts of idea's at just what she wanted to ask of him. His first thought was she had developed some weird fetish that she wanted to try out in bed, but was too nervous to ask outright. That thought was discarded as fast as it came. Emily was many things in bed, incredible, insatiable, but never shy. If she had a thought of something while they were in the middle of sex, she'd just do it, and he normally just found himself being forced into going along with it. The results were mixed. They had enjoyed a bit of roleplay in her office once, though he questioned if it was it really role play, considering that the roles they played were actually that of teacher and student.

Other times were not enjoyable. Harry had almost freaked out when she started cussing and insulting him out of the blue one Saturday in the room of requirement, immediately going limp inside of her, trying to ask her what on earth had gotten into her. She then told him she had wanted to enjoy a little verbal masochism, and his reply had made tears come out of her eyes in laughter.

"I don't know what the bloody hell 'verbal masochism' is, but keep it out of here please."

Other times were just downright awkward for him. On a different Saturday not too long ago, right in the heat of things, Emily had, in his opinion, lost every bit of common sense in her head when she decided to push one of her fingers into his arse. It happened fairly quickly and had it not been for the slight pain and discomfort, Harry probably wouldn't have known she had even done it, but he did. His body slowed its thrusting motions rather quickly and in a matter of seconds they were both very still.

"Emily."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I wanted to."

The short and clipped conversation was made even more awkward by the fact that the intruding digit remained inside him. At the end of her last sentence she even had the gall to wiggle the offending finger. He could only bring his hand to wipe the sweat from his face and take a deep sigh.

"Have you ever thought, 'Oh hey, before I sodomize my boyfriend, maybe I should ask his opinion on it first'?"

"Not really, no."

"Any idea why not?"

"Well if I ask and you say no, I don't get to try. At least this way we get to see if you like it."

"Well thanks for expanding my horizons. Please remove your finger."

"Sure."

He could look at the situation now a few weeks later and laugh at it. But at the time, his exasperation had been vivid. No, whatever she wanted it wasn't related to sex.

He arrived at her quarters without running into any other students or faculty members and waited. He knew she'd be able to feel him if she were there, and though she was giving him heaps of the silent treatment she wouldn't leave him to wait outside her bedroom. Sure enough, he hadn't been there for more than five seconds before the door opened and he slipped inside. As he shed his cloak he started talking.

"Okay Emily, what is it you want me to do?"

She didn't reply to him, didn't even look at him. She was the paragon of a young woman showing her petulance, head tilted slightly upwards, eyes fixed on a distant point. Harry wouldn't be bested so easily however.

"Emily, stop it with this game. You're almost seventy for God's sake. You're not some moody teenager. You're doing this because you want something, now tell me what that it."

Finally, he got the reaction he desired. She let out a loud breath of air, before turning to face him with a wry smile.

"Guess I'm not too good at the whole manipulate my boyfriend thing, huh?"

"I'm dating the woman who killed my parents. You're certainly not bad at it." He kept his tone light, not wanting her to think of his comment as anything more than a rather distastefully worded compliment.

Even though he tried to keep things light, the smile fell from her face when she heard his words.

"Can you ever forgive me for that?"

It was a simple question. Not a plea or a demand, just simple curiosity.

"I kind of already have. In my head that knowledge is always going to be there. A reminder of what you can be when you're at your worst. But as long as I'm with you to bring out your best, I think we can manage to make it through that. Because I don't think any woman alive can match Emily Riddle at her best."

She gave a short laugh, and the melancholy washed away with a true smile from her. The kind that made his heart ache, reminding him of the three words he had yet to tell her. Words that she never went a day without telling him, with either her own voice, or in the case of the past couple of weeks, in a short note on their charmed parchments.

"You're far more charming than anyone has a right to be, Mr. Potter. I'm swooning over here."

"I'm kinda just glad you're speaking to me. What was up with that whole silent treatment thing?"

They had been standing in the middle of the room, inches from one another. When Harry asked this question however, he had taken her hand and led her to the small couch to sit down. In a rare show of femininity, she curled her entire body into his side and wrapped her arms around him, pressing the side of her face into his chest.

"I'm planning on breaking into the ministry, and I need your help."

Harry was shocked as he had not even thought her capable of asking for help. She was the big bad dark lord after all, she didn't need help from others. The thought also caused him worry, just what kind of awful situation did she want to get into that would require the help of a fifteen year old student.

"You need.. my help?"

"Poor choice of words I suppose. I can do it alone easily enough, just tear my way through there, but that would announce my return. No I need a proxy, and only you and Dumbledore can touch the prophecy. I don't see that muggle lover being willing to hand it over, especially seeing as he already knows the entire thing."

Harry was struggling to understand quite what she was meaning with this, but the idea of her tearing through the ministry, and possibly a very large number of people didn't sit well with him. It would help if he asked her what the word proxy meant, as he had absolutely no idea. He didn't want to seem like an idiot however, so he commented on the one part she had been clear about and figured she would expand on the rest.

"Yeah, I don't see him being on board with that."

"The idea is that you and I will sneak into the ministry. I will be under your cloak and you will be disillusioned. Then we make our way into the Department of Mysteries and find the Hall of Prophecies. Once there we will locate the prophecy about us, listen to it, and then get the hell out."

Well it sounded fairly simple, but nothing Emily ever did was simple. He should know, her original plan to get him to fall in love with her had been a convoluted hodgepodge of insanity. Planning on repeatedly wiping his memories over and over until she could make him fall for her had been fairly brilliant, so much that he admitted to her that it would have probably worked, but it had been excessive. Though to be fair, he doubted things would've panned out as they had without her initial idea, so things did seem to work out in her favor.

"Sounds easy enough, except for the fact that I don't see where I factor in."

She grimaced, and he couldn't help but think that this was the where the real part of his 'help'. "On the off chance that things go badly, I need for people to think that it was you, and not myself who took the prophecy. I would prefer to remain in the shadows for as long as possible."

"You want me to be your fall guy? Are you serious? Emily we are talking about a major crime here, like maybe Azkaban worthy."

"Calm down, Dumbledore won't let you fall into the ministry's hands. The headmaster position at your school allows him almost unilateral control over your fate during the school year. In fact the only person who can interfere with that in any way is the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, and I have it on good authority that she likes you."

"At this time, I would like to point out that there was nothing Dumbledore could when you framed Hagrid for the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. Why the hell should I believe that Dumbledore and you can prevent the same thing from happening to me?"

"Things with Hagrid were different. It involved a murder. Few things in the magical world are considered more serious than that, probably because magic can fix just about anything other than death. Even though I have risen above such simple ends, others have not, and its seen as a capital crime. Factor in your your friends status as a half-giant, giants being a race known for their brutality and rashness, and its more impressive that Dumbledore prevented him from receiving the Dementor's Kiss."

"A fate you would have sent him to."

Harry was now a bit angry. Talking about Hagrid's past only reminded him of how little Emily cared for other's, as long as she was in the clear. Even if she wasn't in any sort of bad position she'd sit and watch someone suffer and probably enjoy it. Not bothering to let her defend her actions as a teenager, as she wouldn't have had anything to say that wasn't complete codswallop he pressed on.

"So what, shite hits the fan, you bail on me, and then you expect Dumbledore and _Professor Hurst_ to sweep it all under the rug?"

"That's the gist of it. However, let me reassure you, the day and time I have picked out for this venture is one that the ministry will almost be entirely empty. Key personnel only. Even the auror department will be almost bare." She didn't bother telling him that their absence would be at the expense of a few muggles. Easier to spare him of that pain. "It should be an in and out deal. Quick, efficient, and then we come back here where I can thank you properly for all of your help. How's it sound?"

Blatantly ignoring her attempts at using sex to pull him to her way of thinking, why she ever thought that would work was beyond him, he tried to remain clear headed. Key personnel only, meaning there was a good chance that they wouldn't even see anyone. But if that were so, why did she need him. It wasn't really adding up.

"How certain are you of the in and out part? Don't feed me any Hippogriph dung either. Be realistic."

"Lucius is getting me the layout of the department. Once we have that, all we will need is a locator spell to find which prophecy we are looking for. Barring any extenuating factors it will be a thirty minute excursion. Almost zero chance of anything going wrong."

Which pretty much means something will go wrong, even saying that was like tempting misfortune into your life, Harry thought. Was the prophecy really so important to her that she was willing to go through all these lengths to get it.

"If I say no, what will you do?"

"Go alone. The odds of failure are so small, I am probably being overly cautious. But I have not survived so long through reckless abandon."

He remained silent. For all intents and purposes she wanted him to sneak into a government building with her, infiltrate a top secret department, and obtain classified information. A massive no would be the common sense answer, but Emily was certain it could be done, and he had rarely seen her fail before. He almost wanted to say no because of the fact that whenever she did fail, he always seemed to be the cause of it. His answer became clear after a few more moments of thought. This was it, the first moment he had been thinking about and planning for. This was a time where he needed to be by her side, not to help her, but to ensure others didn't get hurt by her. If things went perfectly with him being there or not, then there was no need to worry, but if things went bad and someone died when he had the power to prevent it he would have that on his shoulders to bear. In the end, Harry remembered the choice he made when he decided that he would stand between Emily Riddle and the rest of the world in the best way he could.

"I'll do it. But I have some stipulations. First, if we run into anyone that forces a confrontation, then we leave. No one should have to die for this. Second you have to promise me that you're being one hundred percent up front with me about this. Lastly, I know you have already said that you have a time picked out, but can we make it so that it's past the exams? I'd rather not have to do this until they are done. If you agree to these, I'll come."

Feeling as though she had no real reason to accept these demands and agree he had to think of an incentive. But there was nothing he had to offer her. He supposed he could threaten to cancel their plans to travel the world, but such a threat could backfire on him. At the end of the day, he really did want to travel the world and learn from her. She was the most powerful woman he knew, possible the most powerful person period other than his headmaster. His headmaster... who knew the prophecy!

"And if we do fail to get the prophecy, I'll ask Dumbledore to tell me the whole thing. I know Occlumency now, if I press him hard enough he doesn't really have a reason to refuse to tell me... unless its something horrible, and if it is, I'll go to Sirius."

Thinking that his offer was good enough now, he gave Emily time to think it over. He felt certain that she would agree to it. She just needed time to see it was the best solution too. Perfect scenario in either realm of possibility would be success. Worst case scenario, and by her own admission, horribly unlikely, was them facing opposition and the world knowing Voldemort was back or there would be a fiasco over Harry Potter breaking into the ministry. Something she could supposedly cover up. His presence was more valuable than his absence.

* * *

Emily pondered his proposal from her place on his chest. She hadn't thought of that, nor did she particularly like the idea. Harry going to Dumbledore about the prophecy and directly asking to hear it would send up red flags. He hadn't showed the interest before, and the sudden interest now may spark some questions that he wouldn't be able to answer because of his oath. An oath she still couldn't release him from, as she still wasn't positive he would not betray her. Her heart rebelled at the notion, but her mind refuse to give way. No, Dumbledore would be a last ditch effort. Harry couldn't go to his godfather as that would just put them back on course one, as the man would go to Dumbledore first. No, his plan would only be the last resort.

The ministry would be empty and everything would be simple, she reminded herself. Agreeing to his stipulations were easy as the last one was already done, and the first would be of no consequence. As for her being completely up front with everything, she had done that too. Sure, some minor details had been glossed over, but she had relayed to him everything he needed to hear.

"Agreed. If confrontation is inevitable we leave. I've already been honest with you, and the date I have is after your tests."

"Wow, alright then. What day?"

"Don't worry about will need to sneak off of the Hogwarts grounds alone, however. I made an oath to Dumbledore that I would not try and 'remove' you or any other students from Hogwarts. I'll tell you when after your exams. Best to focus on your school work." No need to tell him that after he finished his History exam, she would take him to perform what would have been the heist of the century, had she not already committed that. Well, attempted to anyway. She had successfully broken in and out of Gringott's bank and that was supposedly impossible. Just another simple task for Emily Riddle though.

With the serious discussion taken care of, she decided that she needed to make up for her poor treatment of her lover over these last two weeks. She snaked her hand into his trousers and whispered to him, "I take that back, focus on me now. School work can wait."

* * *

Harry made his way back to Gryffindor tower that night far later than he meant to. Something he wasn't complaining about, mind you, but it was not his intent to be out so late. He yawned deeply, and as he made to turn around the first corridor from Emily's quarters, he noticed a shifty looking figure at the other end of the hall.

Harry waited underneath his invisibility cloak, silently wondering just how well Emily could sense his presence when it was only a hundred feet away. A few moments later, the figure was outside Emily's door, shuffling nervously as though too scared to knock, and Harry recognized Draco Malfoy. Had his relationship with Emily been any less, he would've been outraged to see his one of his least favortie people, more tolerable now or not, approach her quarters at night, but knowing who the Malfoy's were he assumed Draco really was there running some errand for his father. Maybe even giving her the layout of the Department of Mysteries.

Deciding that nothing would be gained from staying here, he hurried on his way. Hopefully Emily wouldn't have noticed his dawdling.

The next morning dawned to early for his tastes, but he rolled out of bed to greet the day in his usual tired fashion. By now, he was almost used to operating on little sleep. Making his way to the common room he noticed a gathering of students by the bulletin board. Harry couldn't help but think of the Education Decrees that they had earlier that year, and wondered why Emily hadn't brought the news up to him.

Seeing the disgruntled expressions on everyone's faces, Harry felt that whatever was posted was ruffling some feathers the wrong way. He didn't understand until he read the notice himself.

Educational Decree Number Four

All student clubs, organization and study groups are officially disbanded.

Any such groups that wish to be officially reinstated must submit an

application to do so through the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, where upon

once she deems said group to have a good, proper, moral and educational

background, they will receive their right to operate again under school rules.

Harry found himself greatly annoyed by this. What was Emily playing at here? She knew that he spent time at many of the clubs, meeting new people, why would she try and hinder him here? What was the angle she was working?

"Harry!" Angelina Johnson was making her way to him, waving at him almost frantically. "Harry, do you know what this means?"

"Er, Ron's gonna be pissed now that the chess club is disbanded and Hermione is going to have to get her study group set back up?"

"No, you dolt. This includes the Quidditch teams. Our team has been disbanded."

Harry almost wanted to laugh at her. There was no way that Emily would disband the Quidditch teams. She knew how much he loved the sport. But then again... she might have felt that she would need some leverage over him. Something that may help her get a favor out of him. His eyes narrowed. She would be capable of something shrewd like this, and considering he had only agreed to help her last night, she probably hadn't been able to stop this decree from coming into effect. He didn't bother thinking on it more, if she had even the slightest reason to do something, she would. It was her nature to take every precaution.

"Don't worry about the team Angelina, I'll get us reinstated right now." And with that, Harry turned on his heel and left.

* * *

Mundungus Fletcher was not a fan of Thursdays. He somehow got stuck with the long shift. Did Dumbledore really think Voldemort was just going to stroll through the ministry, grab the prophecy and then stroll on out? Course not, it was a terrible idea. Still, as long as he helped out here and there, good old Kingsley and Tonks turned a blind eye to his shadier business deals. Man has to do what a man has to do, he thought. That, and of course the fact that Voldemort had murdered two of his cousins in the last war. Something he told few people, but it really was the driving force behind why a man like him would join up with the Order.

Maybe he'd pop out for a bite to eat later, nothing would happen if he left for an hour. Midnight was a long ways away after all, and a bloke gets hungry. He cast a cushioning charm on the floor, and settled under Moody's invisibility cloak while he stared at the door in front of him. Yes, it was going to be a long, boring night.

A/N: So yea, here is 22. We gots us a lil bit of everything here, and were are gearing up heavily towards the climax. Hope you turkeys are ready.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: MAJOR UPDATE! Heads up that I made some significant changes to the last chapter about 6 hours ago. So if you read 22 before then, you might want to go reread it. Nothing really new, per se, but someone told me in a review that I wasn't getting my message off very well so I added in a good 1,000 words of thoughts and actions to flush things out better.

Chapter 23

Dumbledore sat in his chair and wondered for the nth time whether he should have entered into the Hall of Prophecies himself and destroy the object that Voldemort desired. It was only the fact that he was a powerful public figure that kept him from acting. No need to become a fugitive when he needed every option available at his disposal.

End of the year exams were only a week away, and he had received several reports of his fifth and seventh year students succumbing to hysteria. It was times like this when he was glad for the growing number of students from muggle backgrounds. In the wizarding world there was far too much pressure to perform well on these tests. Those from muggle backgrounds knew better. While OWLs could not ever be retaken outside of school, one's NEWTs could be set up at any ministry in the world, all one had to do was cover the rather outstanding fee required to take them. Sixty galleons, Albus thought, was far too steep for such an important thing, but the bureaucracy needs funding too.

Making his way to the window that overlooked the grounds, he couldn't help but wonder how Harry Potter would fair in his exams. Many of his professors had told him of the boy's progress in his subjects and Dumbledore was please the young man seemed to be applying himself fully. Perhaps this was due to the influence of young love. Dumbledore had been made aware of Harry's relationship with Ms. Greengrass and it was only something he could approve of. For love was Harry's greatest strength, and he would need to cultivate that strength for the time that Voldemort decided to come for him again.

Dumbledore turned his gaze away from the window, sadly. It wasn't fair that such an incredible young man had to go through the things that Harry faced. With the boy's status as one of Voldemort's horcruxes Dumbledore was at a loss on the course of action that would be best for the boy. How does one keep a child safe when the most dangerous person in the world is intent on their destruction? Obviously, it would have been in everyone best interests if Dumbledore could strike her down, reduce her to her wraith form again and lock up all of her supporters. If only he could do that forever. He had already started making plans to track down the woman's other horcruxes, for there had to be more. One's soul did not get so fragile from the creation of one horcrux that a second was made accidentally. He had a feeling that there were seven, though only two people could confirm that. Emily Riddle herself, and the person who taught her about them. In a perfect scenario Dumbledore would live another hundred years, continuing to strike down Voldemort each time she returned, allowing Harry to live a simple and carefree life, dying happily of old age before Dumbledore finished her off one last time, and then he too could begin the next great adventure.

Things would not be so perfect. He was old enough by anyone's standards, and while he had briefly debated continuing his work in alchemy, work he did with his old friend Nicolas Flamel, and create a Philosopher's stone to remain on the playing field, he decided against it. For all of his many mistakes he would face death when it came for him, it was the price he had to pay for the arrogance of his youth.

Dumbledore returned to his desk, and began rifling through all the paperwork required for running the largest magical school in Britain. Pondering the future would not get work done in the present.

* * *

"It ours this year. No one can stop us. Play hard, and bring that cup home again." Angelina was fierce. To be fair, the entire locker room was filled with the team's adrenaline to win the house cup.

The Ravenclaws' match versus the Slytherins hadn't gone so well and though they had gotten the win, it was only with two hundred and thirty points. So long as Harry captured the snitch in a timely manner they would win. Emily had told him under no uncertain terms would she accept it if he lost to his old crush, Cho Chang. She told him that he could 'out fly that chink any day of the week' and that she would slap him if he failed to grab the snitch. Harry had tried to give her grief for the racial slur, but she looked at him before reminding him that she was, in fact, a racist terrorist who had once committed horrible deeds to those she felt were inferior. He sort of lost any standing ground in the argument then, only telling her that she could be nicer about it before promising to win.

He had found to his immense surprise that latest Educational Decree that had been issued in the past had not been her handiwork at all. Apparently, Cornelius Fudge felt that, as her time was drawing to a close at Hogwarts, she should tear down and rebuild the social activities that Hogwarts offered its students. If she were to do it correctly it would've meant countless hours of interactions with students from previous clubs, conducting interviews and gathering opinions on whether or not a certain club was beneficial enough to its members to be reinstated. Emily had ignored what the man had wanted, however, and had simply approved everyone who came to her asking for it.

The match was uneventful. The Ravenclaw team, for all their brilliant minds, hadn't come up with a strategy to exploit their weaknesses like the Hufflepuff team did. Ron continued to be on a hot streak, making saves that Harry wondered if Oliver Wood would have managed. When his fingers closed on the snitch right under Cho Chang's nose his eyes went to find Emily in the stands. She was right next to Dumbledore, surprisingly, and though she did stand to cheer and applaud when the game ended, he felt that she was more subdued due to the man's presence.

The party that night was some how even crazier than the one a month before. Harry managed to sneak off easily enough, Ron agreed to make excuses for him. Harry hoped that in Ron's joviality he didn't spill that Harry had a girlfriend. No one had really put together all the pieces behind his disappearances this year. In part this was due to him being far more sociable. If someone didn't see him they assumed he was hanging out with another crowd. In retrospect Harry's plans to build more connections with people protected his secret the easiest.

Though Ron did have a bone to pick with Harry about the few times he spent with Malfoy. Harry assured Ron that Malfoy was still an unbearable little prick and Ron was fairly satisfied with that. Harry's impression of Malfoy had evolved somewhat. The other boy was terrified of Voldemort and couldn't possibly figure out what precisely she wanted with Harry Potter. He was completely unaware that Harry knew her true identity, or the real relationship the two of them had. Harry, on the other hand, was fully aware of Draco's interactions with Emily, including their first meeting during the summer.

"Yes, I found him to be rather repulsive when I first saw him in his father's manor. He actually made a pass at me, if you would believe it, in front of his father. Lucius had not had the chance to explain to him who I was. Lucius was horrified. Never say that man doesn't love his family, he thrust the boy behind him and begged for his forgiveness. Grovelled on his hands and knees, all the while Draco was standing behind him with such a stupid look on his face."

"Lucius spent so long telling him not to lower his head to anyone, that he was better than everyone else, that he forgot that to instill the proper respect his son should have for his superiors. To then see his father in such a pathetic state, I think, was a turning point for him. I suppose it didn't help that, at the time, I was not amused by his son's behavior and took it out on Lucius with the cruciatus curse. That probably helped cement the lesson, seeing his father writhing in pain. He didn't even bother going for his wand, just dropped to his knees and cried for me to let his father go. If I ever need to control a member of that family, its good to know that I can threaten another member if needed. Those two are even more protective over Narcissa, and I know she cares for them as well."

The story was amusing until she brought up the torture curse, but then again, Harry held little sympathy for the Malfoy family. They had picked their side of things. He did feel that Draco Malfoy had it rough though, he hadn't really had much of a choice. However with his knowledge of Malfoy and his personality, he was certain the boy would have made the same decision as his parents.

Finally making it down to the Room of Requirement, Harry entered inside to see that Emily had her room up. He was certain that he would be entering the bedroom he had imagined, but rather she was standing in the corner firing off spells at various moving targets along the wall. It was worth mentioning that the wall didn't have a single scorch mark on it, and every target was blackened in the middle. Emily didn't miss, you either got out of the way, or you went down.

As he got closer, she stopped and turned to him. "I'm sure this isn't what you had been expecting, but seeing as your exams are not too far away, I decided that we should use tonight to push you through a trial run of them."

"Do we have to? Its been sort of a long day and even though the match wasn't very long, it was pretty tiring. Can't we postpone this?"

"Don't whine. If I thought you would be tired enough not to do this, I wouldn't suggest it. Now, first up is transfiguration." The mock practical OWLs Emily ran him through took over two hours, but he was happy to hear Emily tell him that his performance in each one was worth a passing grade. She had him do transfiguration, charms, defense and potions. It was the potions result that Harry had been most surprised in, with her telling him that his confusing concoction would have earned an exceeds expectations. They then spent another hour on a verbal questionnaire that covered creatures, herbology, and history test. She was pleased with his first two, stating he should be good in those as well, before telling him to brush up on his history as she thought he would only barely score an acceptable. She told him she didn't particularly care about assisting him in astrology as it was a 'stupid class', and she told him not to even bother showing up to his divination exam, better to not take an elective OWL than to fail one. He hadn't even known he could skip them, but she assured him that for the electives it was fine. It was a class not worth his time, and he agreed with her.

When they finished covering everything she felt he would need to know, Emily allowed the room to change into the familiar bedroom. Harry kissed her cheek in passing as he fell on top of it, robes and shoes both on. Normally she'd have hexed him for it, and he was surprised when all she did was magic them off. He mumbled a thanks before crawling under the sheets. He felt her slip in beside him before molding her body into his back.

"Sleep well, Harry."

He wanted to respond, but he was already drifting into sleep.

When the fabled two weeks of exams arrived, Harry felt confident. After all Emily hadn't simply let things lie after that first night. Every night they spent together afterwards was geared towards prepping him for OWLs. All other activities were delayed until the weekend. He had asked her about how she was coping, considering that he knew that it took about three days for her to start getting uncomfortable. She told him it was fine, he normally stayed in her arms when he slept and that closeness eased the discomfort well enough.

Harry had always been rather selfless and caring. He tended to worrying for his friends well being more than his own. Even though he was well aware of these traits, he was still thrown off balance when he realized just how much he worried about Emily's welfare. She had told him many times in the past that her body wasn't like his, and that her mind was far more advanced and matured than his own. These explanations didn't stop the thoughts that she had too much on her plate though. She seemed to spend so much time teaching, helping her students, and the rest of her time with him, but he knew she also did so much more. Between conversing with and directing her followers, planning the break in at the ministry, and just her general attempts at global domination, he had no idea how she juggled it all.

At the end of it all, he figured she would take care of herself no matter what. The most important person to Emily was Emily after all, though in his more fanciful musings he liked to think that maybe he might hold that spot. He never let the thought stay too long.

Monday morning dawned early enough, and Harry left his dorm to for the Great Hall early. Emily had told him that he needed to wake up early each morning and take a walk around the lake. He looked at her funny for the suggestion and she explained that the written portion was in the morning and some physical exertion would make sure he wasn't still sleepy when it started. He figured she'd know best, so after a filling breakfast he took a stroll outside. The fresh morning air cleared his head and he found the walk enjoyable, though he didn't enjoy it well enough that he would make it a habit. When he walked into the examination hall, his nerves started creeping back and he had to take a deep breath to settle himself. Everything would be fine, Emily had made sure he knew what he needed to.

The Charms written exam went well enough he felt. There were only a few places where he blanked completely, the rest of it was filled out to his satisfaction. Definitely an A, if he were lucky, maybe an E. He met with Emily during the break between the written portion and the practical, but other than casting a small handful of charms they didn't do much else related to the exam. Instead she asked him about the things he would want to do on their trip together. They spent the hours making all sorts of plans and when it was time for him to leave, he felt more relaxed and happier than he had been in a long time.

The rest of his exams that week passed in a similar fashion. Wake up, eat, walk outside, test, spend hours with Emily, practical, meet with Emily in the room of requirement, talk some more and then sleep. For the days of the school week he didn't see his other friends from Gryffindor other than the testing times or meals. Seamus and Dean asked him if he was coping well, figuring that he studied later and woke up earlier than them, and he told them he was just fine. They didn't press the issue, after all, their own plates were full, and they went back to their revision.

His Saturday remained the same and despite Emily saying that his closeness to her had been enough to keep her from feeling the pangs of their bond, she ravished him for hours that night. Harry didn't feel as though sex between them had ever lost any of its magic, but whether it was just the stress of his OWLs, or maybe the lack of intercourse during the week, or even a little bit of both, that Saturday had been intense. Every sound she made spurred him to move harder and faster, to force more of those delicious noises out from between her lips. And as though she knew just what he wanted, she gave them to him. The frenzied fire they felt for each other's bodies only grew and grew with each climax, she had never needed rest before, and for once he was as insatiable as she.

The following Sunday was one of languid rest. He and Emily spent most of the day together, excluding mealtimes, just talking and trying their best to entertain one another. Before allowing sleep to claim him that night, he gently tugged at her hand and she turned to face him.

"Thanks. For all this. I want you to know that I don't think I'd have done half as well this past week without the help you've given me. And I'm certain I'll do just as well in the last week. Your the best."

"Heh, about time you noticed that. Its only taken you the better part of a year to realize how exceptional I am among others."

"Yea, you know, this is why I rarely compliment you. It always goes straight to that over inflated ego you have."

"Oh please, you've already admitted that I am the best. Therefore, my ego can't possibly be over inflated. Its just the right size. It just looks big due to my petite loveliness."

He sighed, shaking his head, once again exacerbated by her. He wondered if she were so talkative with her followers, though considering how much she seemed to love her own voice, he was sure she was. Though he doubted her speaking with them was quite so... light hearted. "Sleep well, Emily."

To be completely honest, he had chickened out. While he did want to convey those emotions to her, he hadn't had the courage to say the three words that he should've told her by now. He had spent so long wondering if he did, truly, love Emily Riddle what it would mean for him, that he had somehow missed the moment where he fell for her. Oh sure, she could still piss him off royally, and her attitude was still stuck in loo some days, but she stood by him, helped him to the best of her ability. She loved him unconditionally and he had realized that he loved her, despite who she was and what she had done.

'I wonder if this makes me the beauty, from Beauty and the Beast?' was the last thought he had before sleep took him.

At the start of the second week of the exams Emily gave him a book she had apparently ordered from Flourish and Blotts about magical history. It was a condensed version, but she said it would cover the vast majority of what would be in his OWLs, so he agreed to read it one hour during the day and one hour at night. Knowing the speed at which he read things, she told him six hours would be just enough for him to finish the text.

The last few days of testing passed in practically the same way as the first. He and Emily only lightly brushed up on his next exam before just spending time together. Emily had even brought a radio one day so they could listen to a Quidditch game's commentary together. He knew that she had done that completely for his benefit as she had told him she found the sport to be a complete waste of time. Her only interest in it stemmed from his love of the game. He appreciated that.

His Astronomy exam at midnight on Wednesday, or well, technically Thursday, went well enough, that is until about halfway through the exam. All of a sudden Lavender Brown started shrieking, "Oh my God, there's a giant in the forest!"

Almost seemlessly everyone's skyward facing telescopes took a ninety degree downward turn as each student looked for the anomally that Lavender had claimed. Even Hermione had abandoned the test for a few moments to look, though she showed great restraint as it was less than a few seconds later that her telescope turned back to the skies.

Harry himself couldn't make anything out in the darkness, but he did hear Dean and Seamus exclaim that they too saw the giant. "Kinda little though, ain't he? Thought they were taller than trees normally and he's wading through below them." Seamus was cut off by their examiner, who reminded them that they were on a time limit. Soon everyone's interest faded in the creature below and they resumed their test. When Harry told Emily later of what had happened she was quite interested.

"Really, now. And your friends said he was shorter than the tree line correct. Must be a runt of the litter, probably kicked out of his tribe for his size. Would explain why he's not in the mountain's anyway. Odds are he was just passing through, I'm sure your proctor has alerted the ministry."

"What will they do about him?"

"Considering giants are impervious to most magic, they'll try and coax him back into the mountains. If that fails, they will attempt to use force to move him back. If that also doesn't work, they'll kill him."

"What?! Why?"

"Giants are dangerous Harry, and your ministry has taken all of their lands and forced them into the unforgiving climates of the mountains, to keep them away from muggles and wizards alike. To have one moving about the countryside will be a risk to the statute of secrecy and they will do what they must to preserve it."

"Thats... thats terrible. Why did they force them out like that?"

"Because the giants are powerful and witches and wizards fear power. They feared me as well you know. In the first war I offered to give the giants back their lands, to give them the rights they should have always been allowed to keep, all they had to do was fight for me. Back then I commanded almost a thousand of them. I had them lay waste to entire towns trying to use brute force into making the ministry bend to my will. Many of their race perished fighting against the ministry, the rest were repelled back into the mountains after my fall."

"You used an entire race like that for war?"

"I gave them the chance to fight for their freedom, Harry. Giants aren't completely unintelligent, most can converse, though not many in the languages of men. No one likes to be suppressed, and I offered them a way to overthrow their oppressors with force. Of course they took me up on it, and many died happily knowing they did what they needed to. The same with the werewolves and dementors. The ministry looks down on them too, pushing those with lycanthropy to the fringes of society and shackling all the dementors to Azkaban. All of the magical races are prideful Harry, recognize that, and you'll understand many things."

"And yet you hate house elves?"

"Because they are subservient. They want oppression, they want to be slaves. Its disgusting. They have such incredible magical potential, and they waste it on the whims of their so called masters. I have a similar dislike for centaurs and mermaids, both of whom are fine with being classified as creatures and not beings. Though I find them more tolerable as they hold a blatant distaste for humans and wish to be referred to as such so they don't have to be bothered by us."

Emily had rarely talked about where she stood in regards to how magical society was run, and Harry found himself agreeing with a lot of things she said. But he felt that the proper course of action would have been to defend the other races, not incite them to fight as her soldiers.

When Harry woke for his final exam, History of Magic, he was happy. It was all almost over. One more exam and then another week of classes, and then he would get to see the world. His life would no longer be constrained to just Hogwarts and Little Whinging, and though he loved his school, he wanted the freedom to go wherever he desired so badly he could almost taste it.

The history exam was different. In truth this was only his fifth test of the subject as Professor Binns never tested them during the year, he was a ghost after all, and he only had the yearly exams. Which were very outdated. The OWL however looked as though it had been looked over in the past decade and even had a question relating to Grindelwald. Emily had been right in that the little book she had purchased for him would carry him through the exam as he found much of the subject matter on the sheets of parchment before him. Maybe he should send Dumbledore a letter about replacing the ghost for someone more capable of changing the cirriculum.

Once he finished his last OWL, he went upstairs to his dormitory. It had been almost two weeks since he had spent more than ten minutes here at a time and he had a couple of arrangements to take care of. They were two small diaries with Ron and Hermione's names written on the spine gold ink. They would function like Emily's and his parchments allowing him to communicate with them. He had asked Emily to help him by placing the charms on them and she had refused. Instead she taught him the charms he needed to know and forced him to practice them until he had been able to create them himself. It was an accomplishment he took great pride in, and he told his friends as much in the brief letters he left with the books explaining what they were and how they could be used.

He didn't bother creating one for Sirius as he still had the mirror the man had given him. He made his way to the kitchens to find a certain elf that would help him get these things to his friends.

"Harry Potter, sir. Has Harry Potter come to see Dobby?"

"Yes Dobby, I came to see you and ask for your help."

"Dobby would be happy to assist Harry Potter. Harry Potter is the greatest wizard and Dobby takes pride in being his helper."

While once upon a time Harry would've turned red from the excessive praise, he was used to Dobby's eccentricities. Reaching into his robes he pulled out the two books and handed them to the diminutive elf in front of him.

"I am going away this summer. Somewhere to keep me safe. But its somewhere that Ron and Hermione won't be able to contact me very well. These will allow them to talk to me whenever they want. I was hoping I could trust you to get these to them about a week after summer starts?"

"Dobby would be happy to give these to Harry Potter's friends."

"Thanks Dobby."

Harry had wanted to spend some time talking with his old friend, and he fully intended to do so. However, no sooner had one of the other elves placed a tray of biscuits and a cup of tea in front of him did the entrance to the kitchens open and Emily stood there looking at him, under the guise of Professor Hurst of course.

"Potter, my office, now. Student aren't allowed in the kitchens."

Not too sure why she was being so over the top in wanting to speak with him privately, Harry lumbered to his feet and turned to apologize to his friend only to find the little elf had run between him and Emily and was already in the process of telling her off.

"Do not speak to Dobby's friend like that Miss. Harry Potter is welcome here at any time he chooses to come." The little elf stood straight and though it was only through his floppy ears that he managed to crest three feet in height, Harry somehow felt that Dobby stood taller and sturdier than any other elf had ever done so before. It helped that Harry knew that Dobby was standing up against Voldemort herself, even though the elf didn't know that. Reaching down a hand onto his friend's shoulder, he told the elf, "Don't worry about me, odds are she's just gonna give me a lecture. I'll try and sneak down here another time to see you, okay?"

Dobby shrunk back down and nodded, his ears flapping back and forth on his head, not saying a word. Harry smiled at him and left with his girlfriend/professor, and smiled. Dobby was a good friend.

Once inside her office, she turned to him with a very amused smile. "So that was your friend I take it? Brave little fellow, isn't he?"

"Not quite the subservient race you were speaking of last night, huh?"

"Every flock has its black sheep."

"Mm-Hmm, what did you need me for?"

"I had expected you to come see me after your test. Thankfully I found you before you spent too long lollygagging. It's time."

"I wasn't lollygagging. Time for what?"

"Our excursion to the ministry, of course."

Harry's mouth dropped. When she had told him that the date was after his exams, he hadn't know that she had meant hours after. Giving a little laugh, he replied, "Of course it is. Clearly my fault for not recalling the time. Thank goodness you're here to set me to rights then."

"Sass doesn't suit you. Try to tone it down, and while you're doing that, go get your cloak, broom and make sure you have your wand, too."

"My broom too, why? Are we flying to the ministry?"

"Of course not, but I want you to have a method of moving fast just in case. If things get too dangerous I want you to use this." She held out a handkerchief to him. "Its a password activated portkey. Phrase being 'Salazar'. You have to be holding it in your hand, with your hand against your chest when you say the password. Can't have some random passerby saying the password and having you disappear on me, low though the odds may be. It will drop you off at a safe place, wait for me to come get you."

"I don't see any way things can get dangerous, but we are going into the Department of Mysteries. No telling what we might run into there. I can handle myself, but I would never take you into an unknown situation without knowing you could get to safety."

"So only use this if my life is threatened in the Department then, that's what we're going with?"

"Yes. I'll shrink your broom when you meet me in the forest, right outside the castle grounds. You know the expansion charm, correct."

"Yeah, 'engorgio'. Left twist on the wand and an upward sweep, pretty easy."

"Good, I'll see you in the forest beyond the gamekeeper's hut."

She dismissed him, just like that, going to her desk to rifle through various papers. He shrugged his shoulders and went to grab what he needed. As he was on his way to his dormitory, he couldn't help but think that for a job that was supposed to be so simple, she was talking far too many precautions with it. Odds are that was mostly to ensure his physical well being, but still, the worry nagged him that something bad would happen. Still, worst case scenario was that he would portkey out, Emily would force her way out and they would meet up and leave. He had to repeat that everything was going to work out fine over and over in his head like a mantra for several minutes before the feeling left him. But it didn't really, and he hated it.

A/N: Okay, so I know I told you all that I'd update once a day, but I lied. The next two chapters are gonna land Sunday. I'll be putting them out together as they are massive pieces of interconnected plot that I don't want to give you half of at a time.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: I want you guys to know that I tried. I tried so hard to hold onto this, to not publish it, but I failed. I was weak. And I can only ask for forgiveness for that weakness. I can also start working on 25 when I wake up in a few hours... which I will.

Chapter 24

Getting to the ministry was the easy part, if not the most comfortable. Harry hadn't enjoyed side along apparition in the past, and it wasn't any better now. Having what felt like his entire bdoy pushed through a tube, without pain thankfully, was never going to rank high on his list of entertaining things. He was surprised when they landed in an office, as opposed to outside.

"Where are we?"

"My office. Remember, I did work directly under the minister for a short time."

"How is this breaking in, then? You can literally come and go as you please."

"The breaking in part comes into play when you and I go to the places where my access is not quite so unrestricted. Now, come here and give me your cloak. I also need to cast some spells to make my presence a little... less."

"Less? What does that even mean?"

"Basically I'm going to stick a ward around my body that will allow me to walk through the areas they are trying to place wards without my magic touching them."

"But its your spell, so won't you magic touch it anyway?"

"Yes, but the point isn't to stop my magic from touching the new wards they are placing, its to stop my magic from actually interfering with the placement itself."

"I'll just take your word for it."

He remained silent as she started muttering under her breath. He had never seen someone place a ward before, and though he may have been interested in the process in the past, what he was seeing before him was boring. It just looked like Emily was talking to herself, and not really enjoying the conversation. He couldn't make out the words.

After two minutes, she let out a breath and smiled. "All done."

"What about me?"

"You're underage. Your magic isn't done developing. Think of it like filling tub, while its being filled the water is in motion. Things don't really grip on to things in motion very well. The ward itself, however can and will recognize you when it is complete, but for now, your core won't interfere with its creation."

He frowned at that. "That seems like an awfully short sighted design."

"I suppose it is, if I were to be honest, and it is true that every now and then, a child does happen to get into some dangerous accidents due to those shortcomings. But the ministry has been using the same spells for centuries and you should know by now that the magical community here in Britain isn't really progressive."

"I figured that out pretty early on. Something you plan on changing one day I hope."

"I'm all for progression, Harry, but I still feel as though we can still hold on to our traditional values as we change. Its the lack of progress that has kept us hiding like rats from the muggles."

She had that sneer back on her face. Harry could tell she believed what she was saying. He wasn't certain if he could have agreed with her though.

"Do you think that if we lifted that statute of secrecy we could find some sort of middle ground with them?"

She looked to him, "For a time, sure. But think of your family, and all the other muggles you know. Eventually they would just start taking from us, and they would continue to do so, happy as long as they had second hand access to magic. We would be the second class citizens then. And if we refused them, they would hate us for having powers that they don't. That hate would fester until someone took the reigns and convinced the rest of them that we had to go. Hitler did the same thing in World War II with the Jews."

"You know about that?"

"Just because I am a witch Harry, doesn't mean I'm ignorant. Of course I know about the World Wars. We've talked about the weapons they invented during that conflict in the past." Harry suddenly recalled the conversation. "Hitler took notice his country's pathetic state and seized control at the most opportune time. He reunited the provinces and rearmed his nation state, swayed the masses to follow him. Then he committed genocide." She broke off, staring back at the wall, before saying in a quieter tone, "No, the only way the muggles can live with use peacefully is if we keep them under the heels of our feet."

Harry had never thought of it that way. That perhaps, having magic, might one day make him a target. He had heard the phrase that people didn't understand things that were 'different' which is why all sorts of terrible names were attached to them. Names like weirdos, queers, and even freaks. Names he found himself terribly familiar with.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe some of the muggles will never be able to exist on this earth with us." He had to agree with her on that point. It was irrefutable. "But I feel like most of them can. Not everyone is a Dursley."

She walked towards him, and lightly ran her fingers down from his forehead, brushing against his lips before gently gripping his chin. He relaxed at her touch, and when she leaned in to capture his lips he found himself enjoying the sweet kiss more than he had expected.

"You're so kind, so trusting. You believe that everyone can be good, that everyone can be saved. Perhaps that's my own doing. I, who was the monster under your bed, changed so much for you that you think maybe everyone else can be that way too. Its a naive thought, Harry. I'm not less of a monster than I was before I tried to kill you. I'm just willing to stick the beast in its cage for your heart."

His head flashed to a thought he had just a few nights ago, before he fell asleep. 'Does that make me the beauty from 'Beauty in the Beast?' Apparently it had. She was telling him that she was still a monster, only now she had a leash, and he was the only one holding it tightly. If he were to let go...

"We didn't come here to kiss and talk however, and I'd rather not prolong this outing. In and out, remember?"

Harry had forgotten, briefly that they had a job to do here. His focus had zeroed in on her, and for a couple of minutes there had been nothing else. Shaking his head, he went towards the door.

"Shall we then?"

She flashed him a smiled and put his cloak over her body. "Stay still for a second."

He felt a sharp rap on his head and felt an unpleasant sensation run down his spine. Like a thick, cold liquid being poured down his back. "That disgusting."

"If it makes you feel, better I hate it too. Its a disillusionment charm, not quite as good as a cloak for being invisible, but in low light settings it does the trick well enough. There really won't be many lights on at this time, so its fine. I'm going to cast a spell on our shoes so we don't make noise that way either."

He wanted to comment on her paranoia, but considered his own negative feelings about this endeavor he kept his mouth shut. Every precaution was a good one. They left her office and made their way to the lifts. Not a soul was in sight, and Harry had to admit it was one of the most unsettling moments of his life. Like walking in a hospital but not seeing any doctors or patients. When he reached the lifts, they started rattling about and Harry assumed that Emily arrived ahead of him and pressed the button.

"We can speak, but keep it low. I don't want us getting separated because we can't see one another."

They entered the lifts, and Emily asked for them to be taken to level nine. The journey was loud, and Harry felt that if there was in fact anyone in the building, they would meet them when the lift stopped as there was no way that they couldn't have been heard. His worry was for naught, as when they arrived, and the disembodied voice of the lifted said, "Level nine, Department of Mysteries," no one was there waiting for them. Instead there was just a small hallway with one door.

"Is this it?"

"Yes, this is it. I've been inside once, and without a guide, we are going to have to do a bit of searching. Lucius, being the useless lout that he is, failed to get me a layout, told me it changed daily." Harry assumed she kept moving towards the door, and made his way there as well, only to run into her invisible body.

"What a-," His speech cut off and he recognized the feeling of the silencing spell. Assuming it was Emily, and perhaps something nearby, he remained tight lipped until he felt the magic release him. Even once it did, he didn't say a word.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something."

"Its fine. Let's go."

Once again he had to assume she was the one in the lead as the door opened of its own accord and they stepped into a circular room lined with doors. There were twelve of them, black with no handles, and the entire room had a pale blue hue from the small torches on the wall. She closed the door behind them, and the room started to spin. Right when Harry was starting to feel well and dizzy the rooms slowed to a stop.

"That was odd."

"A way to confuse intruders. Keep us from knowing where we are."

All the black doors seemed the same to Harry save one. One had a large red A placed on it.

"What's the deal with the A on there?"

"I marked it as I closed the door. That one is our exit. I'll mark each door as we leave the room we search." She pulled off the cloak she had been wearing. "This department will be deserted now, we won't need to worry about staying out of sight. This is also as far as I've gone into here. The one time I came here to drop off some papers for that moron of a minister, an unspeakable met me here. We are on our own now."

She once again rapped him on the head and he felt and saw his body resume its normal features. "How did you know where I was standing?"

"I always know where you are. Well, Harry, you tend to have better luck than I, pick our first door."

Harry gazed around, each door was truly identical, save for the exit, so he pointed to the door directly opposite of it. "This one, I reckon."

They approached the door, and Emily took to the front and pushed it open and walked inside. Inside the room was pitch black. Harry lit the tip of his wand with the Lumos charm and walked inside only for light to be snuffed out as soon as he entered. The blackness surrounded him and wrapped him in shadows so thick he felt as though he were suffocating in it. It was a horrible feeling, as he had never been afraid of the dark before, but something in here stroked and cut at every survival instinct in his body.

'Danger, danger, danger everywhere. I'm going to die.' He had just started to hyperventilate, when a piercing bright light drove the darkness away. For a moment Harry thought the light of a train was headed straight towards him, and was even more horrified to realize it was a snake. A snake he recognized as a basilisk, flying straight at him at a speed he had no hope of dodging. With just enough time to raise his arms in front of him to brace for impact, he waited for the painful and mostly likely fatal collision, only to instead be filled with a sense of peace.

"Stop acting like a pansy, Harry. You're just fine."

Lowering his arms he looked at Emily slowly making her way towards him. Surrounding the both of them was an enormous basilisk patronus, continuously circling them, keeping the ever reaching darkness at bay.

"You said you couldn't make a patronus. What the hell do you call this thing then?"

"This is the fear room," She started, seemingly ignoring his question. "They study the most primal survival instinct that human beings have here. I personally only felt a small shiver when I entered and made my way about half way through the room before you got inside. I can honestly tell you, Harry that I have never felt true fear. I don't want to die, and I don't plan on dying, but as I have never faced death, I have never had such an emotion pull at my soul like that. Until just a moment ago."

She grabbed him with both hands and crushed his body to hers in what was indisputably the warmest hug anyone had ever given him, including Molly Weasley. "When I felt your fear, through our connection, I panicked. And when I felt you resign yourself to death, I acted. It is impossible for such an immoral person such as myself to produce a patronus. When we try to magically fuel such emotions into a spell, the darkness in our hearts pollutes it, and turns the magic against us. Normally in a very lethal manner. Similar to your sickness when you used the dark arts, just not as deadly."

"I suppose it was my love for you, my overwhelming desire to protect you, to save you, that made such a impossible feat real. For a brief moment, all the darkness inside of me was drowned out by my love for you, and I was able to protect us both. You from the room, and myself from a spell that should have torn my body apart."

He felt the urge to weep welling up inside of him. Emily Riddle had done something impossible, something she was literally incapable of doing, to protect him. Something that by all rights should have destroyed her body again, she was willing to do it for him. So willing that it didn't take a thought, it was pure reaction. And here he stood, too afraid to tell her that he loved her. The fear overtook him because he had too much of it inside his heart. He had so much to lose and so few ways to keep what he had safe. "I'm sorry."

She pulled back and placed a finger to his lips."Don't ever apologize to me when I protect you. Its something I take the greatest amount of pride in. Protecting and loving you are now parts of my life I can't imagine being without."

The tears had started falling down his face now, and he didn't care if she could see them. He had been playing this game with her too carefully, and it was time he went all in. That he place his bets and face the future with the hand he had chosen.

"I love you, Emily Riddle. I'm sorry its taken me so long to tell you."

She smiled at him, "You're a real git, Harry. You're supposed to tell me that in a place where I can tear all your clothes off and have my way with you afterwards. This place isn't going to cut it."

He laughed. He laughed so hard his body shook and even more tears fell from his eyes. Maybe it was the crazy turns his emotions had taken in the past few minutes, or maybe it was just the stress from the entire situation they were in, but her small joke filled his heart with happiness.

At the sound of his laughter the black shadows surrounding her patronus started rapidly fleeing. As though the shadows were living things, the embodiments of fear fled from the sound coming from him. Soon enough he and Emily both stood in an empty black room, bathed in just the light of her patronus and the faint blue light from the open door from where they had come.

"Wow, these things don't like your sense of humor Emily."

"That, or maybe they hate the sound of your obnoxious laughter."

"Yeah, well, let's get out of here while they're gone. I don't want a repeat performance."

"I don't know, I think I like being your knight in shining armor."

He leveled her with a blank stare, "Please don't start referring to me as a damsel in distress. I don't think my masculinity can take the hit."

"I wouldn't dream of it. You're my big, strong, manly boyfriend in distress." Her voice had taken on a girly, saccharine tone. It was like Lavender Brown sweet talking her current flavor of the week.

"Yeah, lets not do that either, thanks. Anyway, my door was a garbage pick, your turn."

Even as he said this, the doors started to spin, the blue lights blurring into a line before slowing to a stop again. Harry had once again missed the moment Emily had marked the door as now two doors had markings, one with the letter A and the other with the letter X. The doors were still completely opposite of one another so it seemed as though the rotation was as simple as it seemed.

"My pick, huh, sure. Lets see what's behind door number three" Walking towards another door she pressed it open, but not before ensuring that his hand was held in hers before entering. Lighted hearted she may have acted, he knew she wasn't willing to let him be alone again.

Walking into the next room they saw many lamps and a single tank filled with green liquid. They were far enough away she could not make out the glowing white dots inside of it, and for a moment her hopes had shot up thinking that they may be the orbed prophecies that Rookwood had described to her. However, as they both neared the tank, her hopes fell. They were not orbs, they were brains.

"They call this the Brain Room. Though it should really be call the Consciousness Room, or maybe the Thought Room, as they don't actually study the brain here. See the long tendrils floating around them?"

"Yeah, they kind of look like weird jellyfish."

"Hah, kind of, I guess. Those tendril are thoughts. The Unspeakables in this section spend all sorts of time trying to use legilemency to force certain tendrils to appear. Their results are mixed, but mostly failures."

"Why are they studying thoughts?"

"No clue. Muggles have people that do it too, psychiatrists they're called. A stupid profession if there ever was one. If we can't unravel the human mind with magic, what do they think they can accomplish without it."

Harry having a fairly good idea of what psychiatrists really were, did not bother to correct her. It would most likely lead to an argument, and that would extend the conversation, so it was a one he set aside for another day.

"Where'd they get the brains from."

"Also no idea. You see that door there?" She motioned to a door in the corner. It was black and without a handle like all the others. "That door leads to the Death Chamber, where they study... you guessed it, death. The spy I had here in the last war, worked in that Chamber full time, as death was one of the few subjects in this department I care about. Mainly on how to avoid it. Also hence why I have some knowledge on the other departments, but no real idea of what they look like."

"I figured you just knew everything. Kind of like a hotter version of Hermione."

"Please refrain from comparing me to your muggleborn friend. Though she is incredibly bright, I find her enthusiasm in class to be a bother some days."

"I figured you just didn't like her because she's a girl who's close to me. That seems to be how you operate anyway."

"Hermione has no interest in you, not like some other girls at Hogwarts. I tolerate your friendship, and her by extension, with her on that basis alone. Should she suddenly have a crush on you rather than your other friend Ron, I would probably arrange a tragic accident for her."

"Please don't joke about things like that." Emily was having one of her moments again. "And anyway, you think she likes Ron?" He hadn't really pictured that, seeing as how often they argued.

"She does. He likes her back, he just doesn't know it yet. Incredibly dense he is. I'd wager she's waiting for his testicles to drop before she makes her move."

His brain took a brief moment to imagine Ron suddenly growing a pair of testicles and he felt the need to thank Emily for the image. She only laughed at him. "It will happen one day. Puberty is gonna hit your ginger friend like a rock and its gonna take a strong girl to put up with him and his moody hippogriff shit. You'd have been the same way I'd bet. Thankfully I got to you before that happened."

They had already started to make their way towards the exit, before Harry turned around once more. "The brains. Did they used to be people?"

"Yes, they technically still are. Kept alive through the potion in the tank. From what Rookwood told me, its a horrific existence. Most of those thought tendrils are pure horror and pain. If you ever find yourself back in here, never touch one. You will probably die."

With a last look at the floating organs, Harry followed Emily out of the room, and closed the door. This time he was able to witness the half hearted flick of her wand that painted the red X on the door as they started to move again.

"You're up next. Which room now?"

Harry looked at all of the doors, debating which one might hold the prophecy they searched for. As his eyes flicked from one door to another, his eyes gave an odd twitch as he passed a certain door. It was just like the others, a perfect match but something was different. "That one. There's something strange about that door."

Emily looked at him oddly, not surprising since outwardly each door look the same as the others. After a brief staring contest she shrugged her shoulders, grabbed his hand and attempted to push open the door. Attempted, being the key word, as the door didn't budge.

"A locked door? I remember Rookwood saying something about a locked door, but I can't recall. It may have been about prophecies, I suppose. At the time I didn't care for them, so I may have let the information slip my mind."

"Should we try Alohomora?"

"Don't be ridiculous. That spell wont open this door. Give me a moment. I'm more than certain I can open this quickly enough."

Once again Emily closed her eyes and her face took on a troubled look, though this time he was spared the mutterings and she started waving her wand in an intricate pattern at the door. It took less than a minute for a sharp crack to reverberate through the room they stood in, and the door was suddenly slightly ajar.

"There we are. As always, nothing can stand in my way for long."

Pushing the door open again, she entered the room that was filled with a white mist. Emily held him outside the room and took a deep breath, "Well its not poison, so we are good there. But it smells wonderful in here."

She allowed him to enter as well, and Harry also took a deep breath. She was right, it smelled amazing. Like treacle tart, and broomstick polish and another smell he couldn't quite place. A smell that was quite out of place, but still just as alluring. While the other two odors were easy to identify, both treacle tart and the brand of broomstick polish he used having quite strong odors, the last one was more subtle. But it made his stomach coil, and he was filled with a familiar craving. His body's temperature ratcheted up and the hand in his own felt as though it were suddenly on fire. His vision blurred and Emily's shape was suddenly difficult to make out. Suddenly the connection clicked and he identified the scent. It _was_ Emily, but it wasn't the smell of her perfume or the shampoo she used. It was the smell of sweat, and there was only one activity they ever did that made her do that.

His breathing was only getting heavier, the smells getting stronger, well one of them. Soon the scent of tart and polish were all but gone, and all he could think about was the glistening of her skin as their bodies made contact.

"Emily." Snapping out of his erotic thoughts he tugged at her hand to get her attention. He had been so consumed in his own reaction to the scent of the room he hadn't even noticed hers. When no response came, he tried to focus his sight, but to no avail. It was as though his glasses weren't even on.

And suddenly there she was. Her face was looking right at him, less than inches away. She was beautiful. Gorgeous. His angel, and he needed her. He needed to touch her, to be inside her, hear her moaning his name. Nothing else mattered other than being with the woman in front of him in the most primal of ways.

"Harry."

* * *

When Emily first looked into the room, she suspected it was filled with poisonous gas. Figuring that it was unlikely that the gas would give her body too much trouble she move inside and took a deep breath.

"Well its not poison, so we are good there. But it smells wonderful in here."

And it did, like a firepit and cypress leaves, and another odor. One she couldn't quite place, but it was getting stronger and more familiar with every breath. It filled her entire body and settled at her core and suddenly all she could think about was the man holding her hand. It was like she hadn't touched him in years and all the desire had been pent up inside her to be unleashed at this very moment. The intensity took the strength from her legs and she fell to her knees, easily maintaining her grip on his hand as the thought of letting go was nigh unbearable. Her gut clenched, almost painfully and she could feel the fluids from between her legs make their way down her thighs. Her breasts felt far more sensitive than ever before and even the fabric of her bra rubbing against her nipples with every breath made her eyes roll towards the back of her head. She was completely lost to the sensations of her body before a voice cut through the induced euphoria.

"Emily."

It was a breathy, needy voice, and it washed over her completely. Her legs found new strength and she shot back up, and was about to take the man behind her to heights he had never been to before, but she stopped. It was his eyes. The most beautiful green eyes. He was a vision of perfection, every facial feature the finest work of art and she need to touch him. To take him inside of her and surround him in her heat, make him scream her name at the top of his lungs.

"Harry."

They landed on the floor in a tangle of limbs, the only sounds heard were the tearing of clothes, the slapping of flesh meeting flesh and screams of ecstasy.

* * *

Mundungus Fletcher hated Thursdays. Spending hours and hours staring blankly at a door when he could be out on the streets trying to sell his wares. Fat waste of time this was. Ministry was practically empty anyway, ward stuff and what not. His train of thought had been rumbling around the same track for hours, only to be interrupted by another rumbling. A familiar rumbling. One that he should not be hearing.

If Mundungus could only lay claim to one skill, it was survival. He didn't move, didn't even breath loudly, safely enshrouded in Alastor Moody's invisibility cloak. His stomach dropped to his toes when the noise stopped at his floor and he knew, without a doubt that things had just gone terribly wrong. Yet against all odds, the situation worsened again.

"Is this it."

Fletcher would never forget the voice of Harry Potter. Though he had only met the lad a couple of times at headquarters, he knew just what the boy looked like and sounded like. Harry Potter was here at the Department of Mysteries.

"Yes, this is it. I've been inside once, and without a guide, we are going to have to do a bit of searching. Lucius, being the useless lout that he is, failed to get me a layout, told me it changed daily."

Dear mother of God, no one in the Death Eaters would treat Lucius Malfoy as a lackey. That and the fact that it was a woman speaking meant that Harry Potter was somehow here with none other than the Dark Lord Voldemort herself. The fear gripped his lungs so tightly a small bit of air rushed out of his lips, making the slightest noise. He froze again, and he heard a small stumble before, "What a-,"

Dung wasn't a religious man. Never had been. This didn't stop him from praying, however. If there was any higher power out there, they would have been force to hear his words, he prayed with such a fierce plea. The unnatural silence last for mere moments, but felt like days. He was going to die to You-know-who and no one would find his body until it rotted under this cloak and started to smell.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something."

"Its fine. Let's go."

When the door to the department closed, Mundungus Fletcher quietly crept onto the lift. When the lift landed in the Atrium he ran like a bat out of hell. Completely left his wand and his shrunken chest of contraband merchandise on the floor of the Department of Mysteries as he clung to Moody's invisibility cloak, as if it were the only object that could save his life. Which against Voldemort, it probably was. Not particularly being an athletic sort didn't hinder him in any way, shape or form and he was out of the Minsitry in moments. Checking his pockets for his wand, and not finding it he cursed. He sure as hell wasn't going back for it. He was a crafty sort, and had been in similar situations before, so he stuck an arm out and flared his magic and BANG, a bus appeared on the street that had been empty before.

"Welcome sir or ma-"

"Stuff it Shunpike, and get me to Grimauld Place in London."

"We got a few stops to make before we can get you there."

Dung grabbed the weedy fellow by the robes, "You listen here, you get me to Grimauld Place in the next ten minutes or I guarantee you I'll have Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody down here tomorrow ready AND willing to turn you inside out, you here me! TEN MINUTES!" He flung the man away from him and went to take a seat.

"Jeez, well you hear the man, Ernie. London, and step on it."

A/N: This is why I didn't wanna tease you guys. I'll get the next bit out soon.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Whew this one is a monster. And with this, and seeing as it is 11:39 PM here, I actually did manage the 5 chapters in 5 days. Ish. Go figure. This is unedited, as I wanted to get it out before midnight.

Chapter 25

Harry breathing stayed at furious pace. He was barely holding himself above her, somehow finding the strength to keep from falling on top of her. The haze was leaving his mind quickly now, and he was starting to feel some what horrified that he and Emily had just lost all control of themselves and went at it like a couple of animals on the floor. Their bodies were slick with sweat and he had to resist the urge to run his tongue across her navel, the desire for her still strong but manageable.

All of a sudden he felt her hand close around him below, starting to pump him back and forth. He let out a groan of bliss, it felt wonderful, and he looked down to see that both of her hands were busy, one with him, and the other between her own legs. The fog in his head returned just enough for him to erupt all over her stomach and didn't recede until she let out a high pitched whimper and her hips began convulsing beneath him. The sudden movement and sound brought him back to the present and he drew his wand trying to banish the fumes around them. It was the smell that was driving them crazy, he knew.

Banishing them didn't work and he had just started to conjure up gusts of wind when she once again started touching him. It took more effort than anything he had ever done before, but he pulled away from her touch, sat up, and continued to blow the heavily scented air away from them. She was not to be denied by that however, matching his position before placing open mouthed kisses all over his chest working her way down his body. He hurried up his casting, knowing that if the scent remained when she touched him again, he would probably succumbed to the desire like the previous time.

He remained fortunate in that her pace was slow and he had ample enough time to finish and pull away from her temptations by several feet. Harry looked at her, and he couldn't quite place the sight. Emily Riddle looked almost drugged, half lidded red eyes locked onto him, mouth open with her tongue just barely peaking past her lips.

"Sorry about this," said Harry, as he leveled his wand at her before conjuring a jet of water to splash against her. The effect was instantaneous, she leapt away from the stream with a yelp, moving fast enough that Harry barely saw kneeling form rise and then it was like she was standing a few feet backwards a moment later. He let the magic falter and as he took in her nude form, though the fumes had been dealt with, the desire still wracked his body, and he wanted her again. Shaking his head, his eyes met her own and he knew she was back to her senses, she was pissed at him.

"Was that really necessary? Covering me in cold water? Damn, my tits feel like they can cut through someone's carotid artery right now. That was freezing." He felt bad about it, despite it being the best choice of action he could think of at the time. He looked to the side, dismayed to see their clothes in tatters a few feet away.

"Can you do something about them? I'm not at the point with repairing charms that I can re-knit fabric together."

Still shivering, she knelt down to grab her own wand, and he was surprised that their wands had remained so close to their bodies in their activities. With a wave the clothes rose into the air and began reattaching themselves to each other, stitching up the rips and tears. It only took a few minutes before they were fully clothed and she addressed the situation.

"Good job. Though it was unpleasant, the water worked. _Tempus._ " She gave a frustrated sigh, "It would seem that we wasted the better part of an hour enjoying each other's company. I suppose I did get to react to your confession the way I wanted to. Its been just over an hour and a half since we arrived at the ministry. No need to worry though, we have more than enough time as the ministry is pretty much closed until work resumes tomorrow morning."

Harry let loose a breath he had been holding, happy that they hadn't blown anything. And a little disappointed that she hadn't blown him either, though that was more or less the room talking for him. "What room are we in this time? I can't imagine they have a place dedicated to studying sex in the Department of Mysteries."

"They do, though its called the Love Chamber. Those fumes that covered the room were from that fountain." Harry looked to were she was pointing and was shocked to see a simple stone fountain, surprised he hadn't taken note of it before hand. He crept closer and got a whiff of the same scents he had smelled earlier before jumping back, not wanting to be taken in again.

"Relax, its just amortentia. A ridiculously powerful love potion. The most powerful one we are able to brew at the present. The fumes are supposed to be incredibly seductive and I think we were rather vulnerable to them thanks to what happened in the Fear Room." She stopped speaking for a moment, then she looked at him. "I won't lie, I wanted you very badly when you confessed to me and that desire went out of control when I started to smell you and sex mixed together."

"I smelled the same thing. Well, you not me, I mean."

"I think its safe to say its the same scent. We are together when we do it after all." As she spoke she made way to the fountain, even going so far as to brush her fingertips over the potion's surface. "I wonder." And before he could do anything to stop her, she lowered her head to the liquid and began to drink.

"Emily!" She had just placed herself under a love potion, at a time like this? Had she completely lost it? "Emily, stop!" He sprinted towards her, grabbing onto an elbow propping up her bent form before wrenching her away from the fountain. She came with his pull easily enough, even turned to face him.

"Calm down Harry. Just testing a theory." It was hard to look at her, with the potion running down her chin. It reminded him of the one time she had been using her mouth on him and his hips jerked hard enough to dislodge his member and he spilled over onto her face.

"Try not to test your crazy theories when we are busy, thanks."

"Nonsense, it was a test that I was more than willing to risk the failure of our objective over. Your turn, go drink."

His eyes widened, she was mad. She wanted them both to fornicate like animals until the Unspeakables showed up the next day and took them into custody. The fumes had addled her head. "I can't do that Emily. We have a job to do, and I have no interest in getting caught because you have decided for some crazy arsed reason that you all of a sudden want to dose me with love potion."

"Do you trust me, Harry?"

"What does that have to-"

"DO. You. Trust. Me. Harry?" Her red eyes were blazing into his own, and he nodded. He did trust her, and he made his way to the fountain. If she needed him to drink this bloody potion then he would do it, for her, and damn the potential consequences. Dipping his head to the surface he began to drink. And was shocked to find that he was drinking nothing but water.

"Its fake. Just water."

Emily started cackling behind him, before grabbing him by the back of his robes, spun him around and once again kissed him full on the lips. It was hard but short and she released him, still giggling and smiling the whole time.

"Oh I can assure you, that is indeed amortentia. It is without a doubt the most powerful love potion in the world, Harry. It can't create love mind you, just infauation, but its more powerful than the Imperius curse. The amount of control someone can exert over another with amorentia is almost limitless. Such a silly thing couldn't hope to affect me, for I am already truly, madly, and deeply in love with you. My infatuation with you is already complete. For you to experience the same reaction to the potion as I did, can only mean you love me the same."

Her smile eased up to nothing more than the curves of her lips as she kissed his cheek. "It was lovely to hear you tell me you loved me Harry. It was a memory I will cherish for the rest of eternity. But to be given factual proof that your love for me is stronger than the most powerful love potion in the world is an incredible thing. To know the depth of your feelings go further than I ever expected them to is empowering and I want you to know I cherish that knowledge more than anything else, even more than the knowledge of the prophecy."

Too many emotional hurdles one after another, first the situation in the fear room, and then the crazy sex, now they were trying love potions. It was making his head spin. "Come on, let's get the prophecy, get back to Hogwarts and leave tonight. There's no point in waiting out the rest of the year."

"Tongues will wag when a student and professor run off together. More so when said student is Harry Potter."

"Its fine, Amelia Hurst never really existed in the first place. When we come back, I'll be an adult and able to do things my own way." She paused for a moment, then nodded her head.

"Tonight it is. I can get us to Germany, France, or even Spain through apparition. It will be taxing, but I can manage. Which place sounds best?"

Harry had no clue, the only country he thought about was France as it was the country that held Beaubatons, another institute of magical education.

"France, I'd love to see the school they have there. I over heard Fleur talk about it somewhat last year, and I'm curious to how it looks."

"Sure, the term there has already reached its end. We can explore the school and grounds at our leisure."

He smiled at her. Things were moving up in the itinerary, but he wouldn't have it any other way. In a few hours time they would be in France, together and Harry felt that things were now looking brighter than they had ever had before in his life.

Finally making their way out of the Love Chamber, he looked to Emily. "Your turn now, I guess. Actually, I think it needs to remain your turn. Both of my decisions held us up for far longer than yours did."

Once again the circular room began its rotation, and when it stopped, four doors were now marked. One with the letter A, two with the letter X, and the last was marked with a phrase, 'A Good Time'.

"Really?"

"Tell me you didn't like it."

He remained silent, not bothering to answer. The question was rhetorical, they both had enjoyed it, immensely. She pursed her lips in a cute way as she gazed at the doors around them, before picking another of the eight remaining unmarked doors. As she entered he heard suck in a breath with a hiss, before whispering, "This is it."

The room they had entered was filled with clocks of all shapes and sizes, from the smallest pocket watch to great grandfather clocks situated on the walls and various desks inside the room. The air shimmered with crystals of light, likely reflections from the all the glass. In a case on the far wall, stood a large amount of time turners of various sizes. Beside the glass case stood another door, one which Emily began making her way towards.

"This is where they study time, and in conjunction with that, prophecy, the prediction of where time takes us. What may or may not become, the paths of the future."

Making their way carefully through the desks, not willing to bump into any of the precariously laid clocks on their surfaces, they reached their destination. He honestly expected Emily to swipe a time turner, as the ability to move through time seemed to be too incredible a power for her to pass up. She didn't even give the cabinet a second look, and he was unable to remain quiet.

"I'm surprised you don't want a time turner. Sounds like something you would love to have."

"Some things in this world have dangerous consequences. Consequences that not even my Horcuxes can protect against. I would rather not become an un-born today or at all if possible. I am more than well aware of what time can do to me, so I don't fuck with it. I'll fight death, it has an opposite. Life and death are two sides of a single force, I just put myself to one side of it. Time has no sides, doesn't even have real direction, we only perceive it as moving forward, but if that were so, then it wouldn't be possible to change it. Needless to say it has been changed, many times."

"I know, I changed it once."

They had stopped before the door while she spoke to him, but with his declaration, words failed her. The time turner incident had been one he had spoken to no one about, even he and Hermione never brought it up to one another. It was as though they both knew it was something they could never speak of for the rest of their days, but now he was seized with the need to tell her everything. He opened his mouth to do so, but she pressed a finger to his lips.

"As interesting of a story that guarantees to be, I get the feeling its a long one. Tell me later tonight, in France." He nodded to her, smiling again as she opened the door to the next room. The room in front of them expanded high into the air, a good forty feet. Towering shelves lined the hall as far as his eye could see, filled with dusty glass orbs, some gleaming slightly, but most an inert, dark grey. After a brief bit of gawking at the ceiling, he looked at the shelves themselves and found them to be numbered, with fifty-three being in front of them.

After a brief bit of fiddling with her wand, Emily started moving down the row of shelves, her wand pointing her in the direction. Harry recognized it as the Point Me spell, except in stead of pointing north, it was apparently pointing in the direction of the prophecy about them.

"This way."

Sixties, seventies eighties, they passed the towering columns one by one, and he watched as her wand started to shift in a more perpendicular direction as the entered the nineties. It was on row ninety-seven that the wand lay at a ninety degree angle to the direction they walked and they both continued following its direction down the aisle. They made it perhaps ten feet before once again the wand was perpendicular to her body and she gazed towards the shelf. There, in front of their eyes, stood a glowing orb, with a tag reading:

 **S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D** _**Dark Lord**_ _**and (?) Harry Potter**_

"Here it is. After fifteen years, I will finally know what this damned thing says."

And almost carelessly, Harry watched her lift the small sphere before allowing it to fall mere inches onto the corner of its stand. Though the drop was short, the glass shattered and a wispy Sybill Trelawny rose up and recited the prophecy to them both.

" _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied her, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as her equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._ "

It was too much. Having her lover finally confess to her only to hear minutes later that she was destined to either die by his hand or slay him herself. 'For neither can live while the other survives.' She had thought it was done, that the prophecy had ended but, no, it would forever be in place between them. As long as they both were alive, one of them would kill the other. She felt her heart break.

No one could force her to hurt him. She would never commit the act, so it would be the reverse. Someone would control him, take him from her, place him under their control and force him to kill her. She'd never give them the chance.

Grabbing his arm in a vice like grip she started to run, him stumbling beside her, shouting her name, asking her to calm down, to stop. She didn't slow, but she did shout out her thoughts to him as they moved rapidly down the rows.

"Don't you see Harry. One of use will kill the other. It won't be me, I'll never let that happen. Someone will steal you away from me. Poison your mind, convince you that I have to die. Then you will come for me and we will fight, and then one of us will die. It will be that bastard Dumbledore, he knows. Why do you think you face such adversity every year at Hogwarts, Harry? He's been training you every year, all this time, for the day he gets you to kill me."

All of a sudden he wrenched his arm from her grasp, and she skidded to a stop. "Harry we need to move, now."

He just shook his head at her and she was seconds away from stunning him and carrying him away forcefully before he spoke, "Focus Emily. Think. I haven't almost died every year thanks to Dumbledore. That was your doing. It was you who almost kills me every year. You're panicking, calm down. We have time. Breathe."

He continued,"We're running away tonight. We can even skip going back to Hogwarts if you think we need to. I'll find another way to stay in contact with everyone. We'll leave here and go straight to France and plan our next move, but I need you to be in control, you're the brains behind this operation, remember."

Slowly her heart rate calmed. He was right, freaking out would only lead to mistakes and bad decisions. No one knew they were here. No one knew where they were now nor did they know where they were going to be.

His safety and his love were the most important things to her right now. She could forget her plans to rule the world. She would throw it all away, and the two of them would go halfway across the world and be together. Wait a century and return. She would take the same steps with him that she took with herself. Make it so he would never age or die, and they would come back when all her opposition was dead and gone. She would start over with him by her side, two immortals, and take the world by force. By then, the muggles may have even destroyed themselves. It would be only too easy.

"You're right. I panicked." She took a deep breath, before releasing it. "I'm fine now. We'll still return to Hogwarts. You grab the things you need and I'll grab my Horcrux there and bring it with us. Just in case Dumbledore eventually finds out what I did and starts tracking them down. Though you are a Horcrux too, you are an unstable one, and you might not be strong enough to keep my soul bound to this realm."

"Alright then. We have a plan. Let's go." Anxiety filled her chest still, and she wanted nothing more than to run pell-mell for the exit. She forced the urge down, gripping his hand gently and kissed his lips softly. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably terrible things and start another war. Good thing I am here to stop you."

"Indeed, a very good thing." The two walked back to the shelf that held the prophecy were she repaired the prophecy, but it had turned gray and cold. She cast a warming charm and an illumination charm on the orb and it looked and felt almost exactly like it had before. Pulling his body into her own for a hug, reassurance that they would get through this together, they separated and once again made their way to the exit.

They made it back to the circular room and after a few moments of its spinning she pulled open the door marked with the A. Holding it open, she vanished the markings from each door, but was tempted to leave the message on the Love Chamber. The temptation was easy to overcome as secrecy was far more important than a humorous prank but she admitted she did feel the urge to do it.

After cleaning up all the evidence of their time in the Department of Mysteries, sans the bit of sweat and other fluids in the Love Chamber, but she figure those would be over looked as a poor clean up job from today, they entered the lifts and she asked for the atrium.

The loud clanking started up again, and Harry asked her why they didn't return to her office while she slipped on his invisiblity cloak and rapped him on the head again, restoring their visibility. "Its far easier to leave my office after hours than it is to enter it. The only perk is that I am able to apparate directly inside of it. That is only allowed for a select few offices in the entire building, only myself, the Minister and Amelia Bones can enter my office in that manner. The latter two can apparate into any office that isn't warded against apparation entirely. No, we'll use the floos in the Atrium. The one's on the left are warded off at night so no one may enter, but the ones on the left allow people to leave at all times. Such are the late hours of bureaucrats."

They resumed their silence again as the lifts dropped them off into the Atrium. They were home free, she thought. Just a few more feet and they would b-.

She felt the magic of a spell approaching her, and knew she had no time to move. The caster was too close to her back. It was all over, Harry was going to be taken from her and she would never see his face again.

"Protego."

Hearing her lover's spell she turned around jerking the cloak from her body to stun the disillusioned figure in hidden in her blind spot near the lifts. Apparently someone had been hiding in wait to ambush them as they left. It would have been the killing curse had Harry not expressed his desire that no one die tonight. When her spell made contact, the hidden figure's charm failed to reveal the falling form of Alastor Moody. If that grizzled old auror was her then she could be certain that-

"I seem to have found you again Ms. Riddle."

Once again turning around to face the bane of her existence, she gave a shriek of outrage when the completely visible body of Harry Potter flew past her to lay prone behind Dumbledore's legs. Then her world exploded into a mess of anger and hate.

* * *

Mundungus Fletcher clocked the time it took the Knight Bus to reach his destination at just under twenty-nine minutes. "Thanks for the lift, Stan, I'll tell Dumbledore you really helped a bloke out." He glared at the man threateningly, but knew the reedy man had gotten him where he was going as fast as he could

The ride had done wonders to calm him down, despite how bumpy the ride had been. Better the worst trip possible on the magical bus than a direct confrontation with Voldemort herself. He would ask Dumbledore to pick it and the small chest up when he told them what he had overheard.

Hastily making his way into headquarters he shouted at the top of his lungs, "You-know-who's got Harry at the Department of Mysteries!"

It was like an explosion went off in the home. The portrait of Sirius' mum started screeching but even that was drowned out by the mad rush of footsteps heading towards the entrance. Sirius Black was the first there, followed by Molly and Arthur, then Tonks and Remus and various others.

"What the hell are you saying, Dung?" Sirius wasted no time in voicing his concern.

"Spoke in English didn't I. She's got Harry, and they are both in the Department of Mysteries. Got 'im under the Imperius or somethin', he don't even know who he's with."

"How do you know its You-know-who, Mundungus? Dumbledore said she's young. Was he with a young woman with black hair and red eyes?" Arthur asked this one.

Before he could answer, Molly cut in, "Why didn't you do something, you useless oaf. You should have tried to get him out of there?!"

"What? Me against that psychopath? You lost your marbles there Molly if you think I'm gonna tango with her. Better a livin' man gettin' reinforcements than a dead man who can't do nothin'. And no, I didn't see squat, they was invisible, but I recognized 'is voice. Clear as day, and the girl had to be You-know-who, she's the only one who would treat Malfoy like the little toady he is, and she called him a useless bugger."

"That doesn't mean it WAS her though. It could have been someone else, anyone else really." Tonks chimed in with her opinion. "He could've been tricked into stealing it for her by a Slytherin student. Hell, maybe he's dating a Slytherin for all we know."

"He is."

"What?!" Countless voice's echoed their surprise at what Sirius just told them. Harry Potter was in fact, dating a Slytherin.

"Youngest Greengras girl, Astoria. They've been together for months. Kid really loves her. Could it have been a teenager's voice Dung?"

"Well I mean, she sounded young, but you really wanted to gamble on the chance that it may not be You-know-who herself? I don't see a Slytherin teenager bad mouthin' a pureblood like Malfoy so easily. Or orderin' him around like she was talking about."

Sirius was the first to be stirred into action. "No, we go en masse. Arthur, send a patronus to Dumbledore's office, we'll need him there. With luck he'll get there in a few moments, without luck, well I've got a score to settle with Voldemort myself. And a blasting curse impacting her skull is gonna be just the start of tipping the scales back into balance." As a group they left the building and apparated one by one to the visitor's entrance at the ministry. No one noticed that Mundungus Fletcher stayed behind.

"How are we going to get in? The wards will keep us out won't they?" Hestia Jones asked, but Arthur was quick with an answer.

"They are replacing the wards tonight, we should be able to force our way through fairly easily. Though our presence will be noted by the Magical Law Enforcement Department."

"Good, even more back up. Stand back everyone, I can do it." Dedalus Diggle pulled the sleeves of his robes up and with a flamboyant wave of his wand the wards in place shattered with a loud crack and a flash.

"Hopefully that will get there attention." he said before leading them through the entrance. They had barely gone more than a few feet before a flash of fire signaled the arrival of Albus Dumbledore.

"Arthur, whats going on?"

"Mundungus came back from his watch shouting that You-know-who had Harry here in the Department of Mysteries. He was certain that it was Harry's voice he heard, but he was only speculating You-know-who's involvement."

"Where is he? Where is Mundungus?" Dumbledore asked. Everyone looked around but he was no where to be seen.

"Little coward probably scampered off the moment he could." Dedalus said. "He's not really the bravest person here."

"No, but if that's the case, I think we must assume that Harry is indeed here with Voldemort to retrieve the prophecy. Mundungus Fletcher is competent enough, if he has fled, that means he is certain that Voldemort is here. We'll split up. Mad-Eye and myself will remain here, it is most likely she will exit this way as its the easiest to access. I want the rest of you to split up into teams of three. Anyone who can not perform a disillusionment charm come to me before you leave. Follow Arthur's instructions and head to other exits that she may try to use. Use a patronus to contact the rest of us should Voldemort or Harry appears. First priority is Harry's safety. I will come immediately."

The group dispersed quickly each heading to a different location. Soon only Alastor and himself were left. Alastor approached Dumbledore, being a seasoned auror and told Dumbledore his plan.

"I'll disillusion myself near the lifts. Its dark enough back there no one will notice me. Once they leave the lifts and I am directly behind them, I'll stun them. My eye will let me see them through Potter's cloak and I'm sure she made him bring it, if she does have him here."

"Good I will be in the other direction, in the shadows of the fireplaces. I will be further down than you, so if you try to curse her at a range close enough where she can't dodge, know that my spells will be from about three times as far away. Make your decision carefully before you cast. Nothing lethal, she may use Harry as a shield."

"Give me some credit Dumbledore, I've been in quite a few hostage situations. I know what to do to get him out alive. If I fail, summon the boy. She won't expect that to be your first act and at least we'll have him safe. Did you call for back-up?"

"Yes, though the rest of the staff will be late, they didn't have the means of transportation I did. Also I'm certain the Auror department is busy tonight. Some of the paintings in my office were discussing an attack by the three Lestranges being carried out down in Kent."

Alastor nodded gruffly before taking his position near the lifts and then casting the charm to allow him to blend into the background. Albus retreated into the shadow's near the closest fireplace before doing the same, and they waited.

The silence stretched for over five minutes before they heard the grinding of the lifts. They remained silent as the apparently empty lift arrived and left. It was only Dumbledore's keen eyesight that noticed the person under the disillusion spell, and his heart clenched when there was only one. Had she already killed him? His worries were laid to rest when he saw Alastor's spell, a beam of red, light fly off target to what he had to assume was another invisible person. A perfect shot, he hoped, only to be thwarted by the last person he had expected.

"Protego."

The shield charm broke the figure's camoflauge, but it didn't matter. Dumbledore knew the voice already. Harry Potter had protected Voldemort. That probably meant extended use of the Cruciatus curse before the Imperius. Harry could resist, Dumbledore knew he could, so Emily would have had to mentally break him before casting it. He had failed the boy again. The only bright side was that if he was still able to perform magic so easily, then odds are the torture curse's effects wouldn't be too lasting.

Immediately after the shield charm, a second invisible figure was revealed. He watched as Emily Riddle flung young Harry's cloak from her body and somehow pinpointed Alastor's exact location and stunned him. The entire series of actions had lasted barely longer than a second and Albus knew he had to move even faster to salvage things.

"I seem to have found you again Ms. Riddle."

Even as he spoke, he had already begun his silent casting. The first was a stunner that hit Harry in the chest, the second being a summoning charm that landed less than a moment afterwards. He had just finished his sentence, and Emily had just turned to him, before Harry's limp body blurred past her to rest behind his legs. Dumbledore was cool, calm and collected, ready for the onslaught of magic that he would face in any moment. He was unprepared for the scream of anguish that left her lips as her eyes locked onto Harry body. Nor was he prepared for a second scream, far louder, that was nothing but pure anger.

"GIVE HIM BACK, YOU BASTARD!"

* * *

Emily didn't even finish her screech, before her wand was in motion sending a sickly green light at the old man's head.

Dumbledore would die tonight. No one touched what was hers, especially when that something was Harry Potter.

The anger was overwhelming. Equally on par with the love she had felt hours before in the Chamber of Fear, and her magic reflected that. Each killing curse she sent at the man was more vibrant than any other time in her life she had ever cast it. Dumbledore proved himself quite capable as he moved out of the way of her first curse, flicking his wand behind him, without even looking, before banishing Harry to the far right wall, away from the fireplaces on the left that would lead to her escape.

She had cast three killing curses at the man before her eyes left him as they followed her lover's journey across the floor. All of a sudden it didn't matter if the old man lived or not. All she had to do was make her way to Harry, then make her way to the grates on the other side. Her thoughts were interrupted by the charging of a golden centaur, who released a golden arrow from the bow in its hands. She jerked her head to the side getting a nasty cut on her cheek from the arrow, but at least it didn't split her skull. The arrow flew much faster than the half-breed itself and she blasted the animated statue out of her way as she began making her way to Harry Potter. But in the brief moment her vision had been blocked, things had changed.

Her lover's body was almost completely invisible to her, being covered by the witch from the fountain. She even felt a brief flare of irrational jealousy that another witch was with him before having to avoid a silver jet of light that came from her opponent's wand. The old man was playing for keeps, using magic that would destroy her body at the barest touch.

Focusing once again on the task of maneuvering her way in between Dumbledore and Harry, she changed up her spells focus more on tactics that would delay him. She used the same animation spell that she had used against Lucius, causing long vines of marble to rip themselves up from the floor to crush the man. Dumbledore blasted them, and sent the shrapnel in her direction. She only barely created a dome around her, turning the rocks that passed through into water vapor. Dumbledore sent a jet of fire at that she ignored think it to be useless against her shield and cast another killing curse his way. A bad decision as the fire cut through her shield and wrapped around her, the blistering heat licking her skin causing terrible pain. She transfigured the flame into a snake and sent it Dumbledore's way as well as two more killing curses. The old man moved to meet the snake head on, leaving the killing curses to sail away from him. The snake failed to reach him as well as the golden statue of the wizard intercepted it and wrestled it to the ground.

She was breathing heavily now, the exertion getting to her. But she was not done. Summoning a wave of feindfyre, she sent the flames his way only for the golden goblin and house elf jump into its path, dispersing the magic, but reducing their bodies into a molten mess. At least the man was out of cannon fodder now.

A blue light streaked towards her, so she revealed her trump card. Wordlessly she conjured up a magical shield with an ancient spell, the Aegis Charm. This silvery shield could disperse any magic other than the killing curse, but the magical force behind it was immense. Thankfully it would remain with her for the rest of the duel if she desired. She would need it, as her power was starting wane.

With a burst of speed she rushed her old professor, sending out a simple wall of fire that only served to block his view of her for a few moments. As soon as the flames were up and heading towards him, she changed directions, running full sprint towards Harry. She was mere feet away when the golden statue bowed in an unnatural manner and three small golden orbs shot from it straight at her. It was a complex piece of transfiguration that Dumbledore could not have possibly been able to perform so quickly. The balls slammed into her body, throwing her back the way she had come.

"Stay away from my student, Voldemort!"

Damn it all. More meddlers. Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick had arrived and along with Dumbledore they began their offense anew. Emily struggled against the onslaught of the three of them, barely able to defend. More often than not she would blast though their spells with a well timed killing curse and send a follow up spell in its aftermath. She was awarded with a sharp squeak and was pleased to see the small charms professor fall to the ground with part of his face missing and blood covering the ground. One down. Two to go.

Her body was in the worst amount of pain. She was pushing too hard. Drawing on magic she simply didn't have. It was starting to show as open sores appeared over her flesh, her spells now being fueled by the very magic that created her body. But it was a price she was more than willing to pay, as long as she could just get to Harry.

It was another vibrant flash of green that illuminated another arrival and Emily felt a happiness that was only second to having Harry in her arms. Severus Snape had arrived, and it looked far more dramatic to her than it probably was. His black cloak was flowing behind him and he already had his wand in hand. He had come to aid his master in her moment of need. One of her faithful, one of her beloved followers.

"Severus, take the boy." Albus was a fool, still wanting to trust the man behind him.

"Severus, aid your master. Kill Dumbledore now!"

And for a brief moment their eyes locked, and Emily recalled the one time the man had begged her for mercy. 'Please, spare Lily. Kill the boy and his father, but please, master, spare the woman I love.' She saw the look in his eyes and she knew, Severus Snape was hers no longer. She had taken his love from him, now he would return the favor.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL. DIE!"

Even though she was tired, even though her own body was paying the price for her continuous use of magic, she fought on. The killing curses spilled from her lips like speech, and the green glow in the room was almost constant. In less than a minute, she stood alone in the middle Atrium firing off the green light constantly. Severus and Minerva both hid behind fireplace, shooting off spells whenever they had a moment to do so, while Dumbledore had fashioned a golden wall from the remains of the statues, the wall was constantly in motion intercepting her spells as they came at him, with his return fire landing on her shield. Finally, she managed to blast the fireplace that hid McGonagall in just the right way that a piece of the mantle slammed into her neck with a sickening crack. Dumbledore turned to her, in his haste to save her slipping life, forgetting that her true aim was the boy.

She ran full sprint for him as Snape abandoned all pretenses of defense and emerged to fight her alone. This man had no fear of death, and he was willing to die to stop her. She would ensure he paid the price with his life. Refusing to even slow down she kept firing her curses at the man, once again mere feet from the boy when her path was block off by what she knew to be Gubraithian fire. The everlasting flame, she would not be able to douse it.

"Give up, Emily."

Dumbledore walked towards her, wand leveled at her face. He was breathing hard, robes covered in blood, and Emily fervently wish the two she had taken out had perished. It would pain the man for the rest of his days. She saw Severus lying in a heap to the far side and hoped that of the curses she fired at him, it was the killing curse that landed true.

"Just you and I now, Dumbledore. I'll be taking the boy and your life with me as I leave."

She hadn't even had the chance to curse the man when the audible sounds of apparition began flooding the hall. All around her wizards and witches where appearing and even the floos had begun working and were spitting out people. She had one last chance.

Delving into one of her oldest tricks she transformed her body into a black mist and moved through the flames. If people could apparate in, then she could apparate out, all she needed was to grab his hand. She would emerge victorious yet.

As though Dumbledore had expected this action, the moment she disappeared he fired a powerful banishing spell at Harry Potter. The spell passed through the the people on its way, but it did pick up the line of Gubraithian fire and her own misty body before slamming into the wall. The everlasting flame landed in the grate, but her body sailed through the building, still being forced back by the spell into muggle London, before dispersing several hundred feet away from where she had been.

Her body reformed and she fell to her hands and knees in the middle of a street. Painful, choking sobs wracked her body, and she started keening a painful sound that anyone who heard froze in motion. The tears fell down her face, and the pain overtook her entire body, forcing her to curl into a ball sobbing into her knees. For several minutes she lay there, overcome by the grief of her failure, before her mind was able to move past it.

"No."

It was a whisper. Faint, but edged in steel.

"No, I will not let this happen."

With a force of will that no one in her condition should have been able to have, she wrenched her bleeding battered body up from the asphalt. Dumbledore would take him back to the safety of Hogwarts. He would be there. Looking at her arm and seeing the open, bleeding wounds caused by her exertion, she turned her gaze to the sky.

"I WILL HAVE HIM BACK!"

And with a sharp crack, she disapparated.

* * *

 **XOX*WARNING* *CANON DIVERGENCE* Continuing from this point on is the original ending I had envisioned for this book. The cannon ending for this book disregards the rest of this chapter and 26 (though the scene with Dumbledore and Harry in 26 happens in 27 so I advise you to read that so you won't be wondering what the heck happened.) 27 starts from the sentence above. XOX**

Lord Voldemort appeared on the grounds of Malfoy manor. Wasting no time she blasted the door open. In seconds Lucius appeared with Narcissa. The man was in shock, but his wife sprung into action, immediately approaching her and trying to use magic to knit her flesh back together.

"My Lord, what happened to you?"

"Gather my Death Eaters, Lucius."

"My Lord, you are in no condit-"

" _GATHER MY DEATH EATER'S, LUCIUS!"_ The shout was loud and at the same time a vehement hiss.

The man bowed his head and left. She went to sit in a nearby chair, his wife continuing to try her best to heal the wounds on her body to no avail. The pain did ease with the magic however, so she let the woman continue.

"I can't get the wounds to close. What kind of magic did this?"

Narcissa Malfoy had never joined her ranks officially, and rarely ever spoke to her. Much less called her the Dark Lord. Voldemort let the behavior slide as she was still loyal to the cause and supported her husband's decision fully.

"Don't bother any longer. These wounds are of my own doing. You can not heal them, only take the worst of the pain away. Get me a strengthening solution." Narcissa nodded and hurried off.

Voldemort was now alone in the foyer. Her breathing was still hard and her body still ached. She impatiently let the time pass as she watched her blood seep into the chair she was seated in. Narcissa returned first, holding a vial filled with yellow liquid. She downed it at soon as she touched it. The potion would not have any immediate effects, but her magic would return at a faster pace and her body would heal with its return. Given an hour's time she would look normal again, though her magic would be pathetically low. Lucius entered a few minutes later, fully garbed in his Death Eater robes. He was not the only one either, the black clad figures poured in one after the other, their numbers totaling somewhere in the mid thirties.

The Dark Lord stood, even though her body was not ready, she would still spear head her forces. "Tonight, something was stolen from me. Something I value greatly. Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick and even Severus Snape, my old follower, banded together to thwart me. By the time I was done with them, only that muggle loving old man remained standing before me. Using a pathetic trick to save his own life, he threw me out of the ministry of magic, where I had been to retrieve what was mine before stealing my property and running to Hogwarts. I will not allow him to get away with that."

"Tonight, we take Hogwarts."

A/N: Argh, thwarted by . The uploading of the chapter flubbed up and the spacing was gone from this chapter. Took half an hour to fix manually.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: IMPORTANT A/N AT THE END! This is NOT the canonical ending to this story. It is simply the original ending that was to take place before the story evolved past it.

Chapter 26

Voldemort had retreated to senior Malfoy's study. They would depart in an hour, partly because it would take time to prepare a large scale assault. She was, however, willing to wait as it gave her body more time to recoup. The gaping wounds on her body had all but closed, the only sign of them ever existing being small pink scars, and those too would fade shortly. The reprieve was good for another reason, however. It gave her time to think. Lord Voldemort had always been prone to temperamental outbursts and her decision to raid Hogwarts had been a hasty one. She was already regretting her choice an hour later. After all, what was the Potter brat to her really. He was just a boy, there were many others like him out there, ones who did not have some mysterious and innate power to kill her.

He had been a wonderful lover, and a perfect companion, she knew that all to well, but it was dangerous to keep him so close. The connection he held within him had been his only saving grace, but all things came to an end, other than Lord Voldemort. She would storm the school, end Albus Dumbledore and kiss the man she had once called her lover one last time before fulfilling the prophecy. Neither could live while the other survived after all, and there was no mistake in her mind that she would never die.

She would forever cherish the memories they had together. He had made her happier than she could have ever imagined. But those time were over, and as she wrapped her hand around her yew wand, she wondered how it had ever been possible that she had loved him enough to cry when she had lost him.

* * *

"Harry."

"Harry, can you hear me?"

"Harry, please, wake up."

Harry Potter's eyes cracked open to see the familiar view of the Hospital Wing's ceiling. He felt as though he had been hit by a truck. Albus Dumbledore's face suddenly loomed over him.

"Harry, please talk to me. I know you have been through a great deal, but I need to know if Voldemort knows the prophecy."

His headmaster's voice reverberated in his head painfully. Like nails on a chalkboard, but something he had said sent an alarm through his head. A tendril of thought was just out of reach... a tendril... like the ones in the Brain Room... "Emily!"

"Yes, Harry, does she know?"

He hadn't realized he had same the name aloud. "I can't... professor. Oath.. can't say." His mouth was incredibly dry and the old man notice immediately placing a glass of water in his unsteady hands.

"Harry, you're not old enough to be bound by any oaths of that nature. You won't be harmed I promise you. I will remove the spell she placeed on you now, so you may tell me what you know."

With his throat no longer feeling like cracked paper, Harry took a deep breath. Was it time to come clean? There was no doubt in his mind that Dumbledore was telling him the truth. It never made sense to him that Emily had placed him under an oath that could kill him, something she claimed she would never do. Emily was gone now, but Harry knew she wouldn't stay that way. She would come for him, she would always come for him. And when she did, then he needed to prepare Dumbledore, because she would never stop.

In the end, he caved and the entire story spilled out. Perhaps it was the guilt of wanting to tell someone the entire time that she was here, maybe it was because he wanted the man to understand his feelings. He told him everything, from their encounters during the summer to her infiltration into the school and everything that entailed. The only thing his professor got a watered down version of were the times they spent in bed. He would never be comfortable sharing that information with anyone, much less his ancient headmaster. To Dumbledore's credit, he only allowed two moments of surprise slip while he was listening, and they were gentle gasps when Harry told him of her patronus and what happened when they drank the amortentia only a hour ago.

"A rather incredible story, Harry. One I find difficult to believe but due to the events of tonight, I am forced to." The man was seated next to Harry's bed in the Hospital Wing, and was mentally breaking down everything he had heard, quickly trying to process all of the information.

"Professor Dumbledore sir, how long was I out?"

"Minutes only I am afraid, normally I'd have let you rest, but at the time I thought it imperative that you tell me what happened. Harry I have always believed that the weapon, the power you held to defeat Emily Riddle was love, but this turn of events overwhelms any beliefs I had on how. Make no mistake Harry, I believe you. I believe that Emily Riddle does truly love you and I believe that your feelings for her are similar." The man looked at him in the most depressing way, and for the first time in his life, Harry did not feel completely comfortable with the man. "But Emily Riddle destroys everything she touches Harry. Its her very nature. You can not be with her."

Harry never thought he would, but for the first time, he felt real anger at his headmaster. The man who had always looked out for him, even went so far as to cook him breakfast a year ago after one of his run ins with Emily. Not wanting the man to know what he was feeling, he turned his head to stare at his lap.

"Not much you can do about it professor. If I know Emily, she's probably on her way here now."

"Yes, and that it why I am sorry that I have to do this."

Harry looked back up sharply to see the wand in his Professor's hand, resting gently.

"Your connection with Voldemort is a danger to you like no other, Harry. And while its a connection that I can not sever with any magic, there is a potion that is capable of blocking empathic links. I am going to dampen the bond between you two so that Emily Riddle can no longer feel its effects. She will remember her love for you, but she won't be able to feel it through the connection you share, and that will keep you safe. It will be like the horcrux in your head doesn't even exist. She will then fall back on her plans for power, and then it will be up to us, to continue the fight. As it should always have been, you are far too young to have ever had any place in this war Harry, and I'm sorry that you were forced into it."

Harry stared at the wand in his professor's hand. If he were going to drink a potion, why did the man need a wand? "It won't matter Professor, Emily really does love me. Even if you were to block the connection, heck, even if you could remove the horcrux in me entirely, she would come for me. She needs me."

Dumbledore smiled at him, and the look was so familiar that he slightly relaxed. "You're right, she does need you," The smile faded, "and that is exactly why she won't come for you. Emily refuses to need others. Her very own pride will keep her away once she no longer feels the desires brought through your connection."

Harry wanted to scoff, to tell him that his theory was crazy, but a memory rose up in his head of a very similar conversation he had with Emily months ago.

 _"Should the worst case scenario come to pass, and we do lose our connection, it will be your job to fix it. If the horcrux within you is destroyed and I do lose my feelings for you, it will be your turn to make me fall in love with you."_

 _"Hah, really? Honestly, do you think that is even possible?"_

 _"Certainly, connection or no, I will always have the memories of us as we are now. I will always know of this happiness, and I think, deep down, I will crave it badly should it leave me. Therefore, if I do not approach you to repair what we were, I expect you to._ _I know you have yet to tell me that you are in love with me, but please Harry. I will suffer greatly without you in my life. You must come for me if I find the strength to stay away from you. Please, promise me."_

" _I'll come for you. Whatever it takes, I'll come for you, and I will do what I need to to get you back."_

"I'll find her then, I already promised that I would."

"I'm afraid you won't remember that promise." Harry's gaze hardened at his professor. Would the old man really do it, after hearing what Emily had done to his memory, was his headmaster truly about to do the same?

"Would you really take that away from me? Damn it, Professor, I'm not some toy that you and Emily can alter when it suits you."

"I know Harry, I know. You're just a young man in love. I can assure you Harry, this pains me terribly, but rest assured Harry, I won't remove her completely from your memories. I don't even think that I could, she is far to entrenched in your mind for that to work. I will simply alter who she is in your mind. The one that got away, so to speak. You will fall in love again, Harry. Trust me."

With a surprising bout of speed, Harry vaulted from the bed. Dumbledore was set on his course of action, and it didn't seem that he could change the man's mind. He didn't have his wand, but he would improvise. He worked better on the fly anyway. Keeping his eye trained on his professor, who so far had made no move to stop him, he slowly made his way back to the exit. Maybe the man was having second thoughts, if he was willing to let him go. As soon as he felt the door behind him, he tried to make a break for it, turning his gaze from his professor for the first time, but the door didn't budge. It was locked.

Harry stared down his professor who still hadn't made a move. "Open the door, Professor Dumbledore."

"I'm afraid I can't do-"

"OPEN THE DOOR! I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK, LET ME OUT!"

Somehow, in the fraction of a second it took him to blink, his headmaster shot a stunning spell at him that impacted him squarely in the chest. 'Emily,' was his last thought. Dumbledore levitated him to the bed, before sending his Partronus to Severus in the Dungeon, telling him that he needed the potion to block empathic links.

"I'm sorry Harry. If there was ever a person who deserved the unwavering love that Emily showed you during your time together, it was you. But this is for the Greater Good." And with that Dumbledore delved deep into the boy's mind to alter each and every memory touched by Emily.

* * *

The Daily Prophet headline was certainly eye catching the next day:

The Dark Lord's Return

Attack on Ministry Thwarted by Albus Dumbledore

Raid on Hogwarts Halted by Aurors

The news took the entire nation by storm, and it was only days before Cornelius Fudge was ousted from office. Firstly for his denial that Voldemort had returned, and then secondly to actually assign her a teaching position at Hogwarts. The vote of no confidence had been almost unanimous.

The Malfoy family was supposedly in great amounts of grief. Lucius' dear cousin Amelia Hurst had been murdered by the Lord Voldemort herself and her image had been stolen by her through dark magic. Or at least, that's what the family was claiming. Just another attack on a pureblood family that had refused her in the past.

* * *

Harry Potter woke up groggily from him sleep, his first thought being of her. She was always the first thing on his mind when he woke, and she was even the last thought he had before sleep. He wondered how she was doing, she had left for France two weeks ago right after finishing her NEWTs, had even offered to take him with her. He had told her no, but he regretted his answer every morning and every night. When she left, she had taken his heart with her.

His bedroom door opened, and Sirius Black poked his head in. The man had been acting very different around Harry, in a way he didn't really like, but when he brought it up to Sirius, the man told him he was stressed and apologized for acting strange. Perhaps his godfather took his break up harder than him, seeing as Sirius had been the only one to meet her as his girlfriend, and Harry had even asked him for advice before they started dating.

"Time to get up, we're to meet the Weasley's soon." The man left at that, and Harry wondered just what had happened between them that Sirius almost couldn't stand to speak with him for more than a moment. Even his interactions with his best friend's parents, Molly and Arthur Weasley had been strange, what with Molly's first hug having reduced her to tears, telling him he had been through so much, and even Arthur placing a comforting hand on both of their backs. Ron and Hermione treated him the same at least, though they were odd the few times he spoke of his ex-girlfriend.

As Harry left his bed and got dressed, he silently wondered if anything could ever fix the hole in his chest left by Sarah Willaims.

* * *

A/N: This is the natural conclusion of Book 1. This is how I planned to end it for months. Voldemort reverts to her old self, with their link now blocked, and Harry, having his memories fucked with, yet again, so he can't fulfill his promise. (See I told you that more memory fuckwittage was gonna happen.) The second book was to take place in Britain, of course, but split into two stories, Harry and his time at Hogwarts, and Voldemort starting up her war. I won't go into anymore details as I don't want to spoil the plot if I do end up writing it. Needless to say it will still involve Draco Malfoy with a special mission.

HOWEVER, as I have stated in the past, this story evolves with every step I take. And this ending, planned though it was, does not feel like the correct step in the evolutionary process. Emily Riddle has grown into such an indomitable character for me that I don't see this happening anymore. (Major? Vague Spoilers START) Book 1 was suppose to start them off, but end with them being torn apart, Book 2 was them finding each other again, Book 3 was them facing adversity together and Book 4 was for finding that Happy Ending. But you all knew this would have a happy ending, first A/N told you that. (Major? Vague Spoilers END)(There was a destination in place, we just wouldn't have traveled in a straight line to get there.) And that still may be the route I choose to go.

I need to ponder this matter, as it needs some thought. I'm starting back to work today, so maybe the time there will help. Vacations are nice, but I do my best thinking when my body is preoccupied.

REST ASSURED THERE WILL BE A CHAPTER 27. It will be the happy ending of this book, disregarding chapter 26 and the last sliver of 25 (which you will notice, she doesn't go by Emily anymore, its Voldemort, ooooh foreshadowing). Then I will have to decide which future I will go forward with, either them together and out of the country, or stick with the plan I told yall about. I will post the final update as soon as I get it done, but please be aware that I won't start posting book 2 until January 2019. I will start writing it, but I won't post it. Laterz everyone.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: This takes place at the end of 25 when Emily disapparates from the street in Muggle London.

Chapter 27

She reappeared in Hogsmeade. Her body was in terrible condition, but she had to move fast. There was no telling what Dumbledore might do to keep Harry away from her. Donning on her old disguise as a professor, she was unhappy to see that the disguise the ring gave her did not hide the wounds. So much for playing the professor card to Dumbledore's face.

Silently thanking the amount of times Harry had shown her the Marauder's Map, she slipped into Honeydukes, making her way to the basement. He had told her of this hidden passage, and she was glad that she had the knowledge at such a pivotal moment.

Quickly making her way through the tunnel with her ability to fly, the magic use still eating away at her body, as she came to the base of the one-eyed witch statue within minutes, and spoke the password, "Dissendium." A hole above her head appeared, as a slide made its way down to her feet, but she didn't pay it any mind. She simply ascended through the hole and made her way through the school.

She didn't bother second guessing where Dumbledore would take him. The old man would have him in the infirmary, and he would be standing guard himself. While Emily was in no state to face off against the man again, she was would if she had to, but she would first try subtlety. A sneak attack would be far more effective.

She finally made it to the Hospital wing, and silently approached. Placing her ear to the door she could could hear her lover speaking to the headmaster. A perfect time to kill the man, if she actually thought she had the strength. She gently prodded the handle and was not surprised to find it locked. Gently reaching out with her magic to sense for any locking spells, she found none, but was pulled from her concentration by the sudden jerk of the locked door.

"Open the door, Professor Dumbledore."

"I'm afraid I can't do-"

"OPEN THE DOOR! I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK, LET ME OUT!"

It was when he started yelling at the man that she acted. A silent unlocking spell had the door swinging out towards her and she only just barely had time to pull his body away from the red light that streaked past them.

"Run to the one-eyed witch." Though she wanted to embrace him, hold him tightly, they didn't have time. His eyes locked onto hers for the briefest moment and she knew he felt the same relief that she did. He set off immediately afterwards, while she made a quick plan to stall her most hated enemy. She could already hear the headmaster approaching the door so she slammed it shut, locked it, fused the door to the wall and even went the extra mile of conjuring up a handful of deadly poisonous snakes. Maybe she'd get lucky and he wouldn't make it past them in his haste before one bit him.

Emily didn't waste any more time, following the path Harry had made, glad that it was well into the night. No one would be around to impede her. Even if there were, she had already handled the other three professor's who might have stood a chance in slowing her down. Perhaps Vector could have put up a fight too.

Suddenly she heard a great explosion from behind her and knew that the old man had decided to put a hole in the wall. Finally making it to the passage she was happy to see it already open, but angry to see her Harry's head still poking out of it, looking for her.

"GO!"

His head ducked down, and she could only assume he was running down the passage. She leapt down into the hole, sliding down the slide and could hear him ahead of her. Pushing her body into a dead sprint, she caught up with him quickly enough. She didn't even bother trying to reach the end, waiting until she knew they had passed the anti-apparition points on the Hogwarts grounds, before grabbing his waist and with a scream of pain and a final sharp crack, they disappeared.

* * *

When Harry opened his eyes, he saw sand. His head throbbed and he wondered if he had landed on it. With a pained groan, he pulled himself to his feet and looked around him. He was at the beach. But where was...

He saw her laying face up a few feet away, her blood making tiny rivers in the sand. Her eyes were looking at him, and she was smiling. He wanted to return the smile, but one look at her body made that impossible. She was covered in bleeding sores.

"God, Emily what did he do to you after I went down."

"Not much actually. This is all my own doing."

He gaped at her, certain she was joking, but it didn't matter, he had to help her. "What can I do for you?"

"Some basic healing spells. Use my wand. Won't fix the wounds, but they'll stop the bleeding and take most of the pain away." Harry got to work, glad to see the bleeding stop, but still wincing at the sight of her abused body.

"This is my fault. I should've helped more. Instead I go down in the first few seconds and left you alone."

She gave a weak chuckle, "If you hadn't of blocked that stunner, I'd have gone down faster. Good work, by the way. That was impressive."

"I learned from the best. Where are we? Do we need to move?"

"We're in France, love. Just like I told you we'd be. Though I conserved as much power as I could and only brought us to the edge. There is a town about three hundred meters, that way." She weakly pointed to her left. "You should be able to see it. Help me up, lets get there."

He pulled her up, as gently as he could, and wrapping an arm around her, with one of her arms draped over his neck, he slowly began moving them towards the nearby settlement. "What's the plan?"

"Take my wand and summon some useless muggle's wallet and get us a room. I need to rest and I refuse to do so on the street."

"Such a thug Emily, already committing petty theft."

"You'll be doing it, not me."

"Fair point." He laughed, no longer able to contain his joy. They had done it. They were free. Just minutes ago, he had almost lost his memory to his headmaster, but everything was better now. He had Emily, they had each other, and the future was going to have endless possibilities.

"What's so funny?" She rasped.

"You Emily Riddle are the most amazing woman to ever exist."

"Hmmm, flattery will get you everywhere, but I'm not sleeping with you until I can do so without bleeding all over you." She smiled at him, and his heart felt lighter because of it.

"So, Harry, why don't you tell me that story about how you altered time."

"Sure."

A/N: Yea, this one... this is the one. It wasn't big, and I actually expected not to get the last chapter out til the end of the week, but it just flowed so easily. But finally having it on paper (or word document) I can tell that this is where its going. The story just grew too much from where I first had it. And I knew it had, I just didn't want to admit my lack of control as to where the fuck this rabbit hole leads. I hope you guys enjoyed the ride. I'm officially changing the story's title to English. Power is Control. Though I won't be posting book 2 til January, I will post some vignettes over the next three months, showing extra scenes that we didn't get to see here. I'll also pay up on my promise and try to write out the lemons. Eesh, fun times. Thank you guys for helping me through this especially: solidmentalgrace, TheGreatBubbaJ, smurr79, Fanagir, , and deepdiver. Your views and opinions really helped me develop this and I appreciate it more than you know.

(thanks to Fanagir for pointing out my mistake in 26, missed that one.)


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